That Part Always Worked
by meg121186
Summary: Post Finale Literati Fic. Rory and Jess find themselves back in each others lives. My take on Rory's life after the campaign trail. Also, a prequel to my one-shot, Fifteen Years Gone. [Sequel is now up]
1. Chapter 1

**That Part Always Worked**

 **AN:** While not necessary, if you haven't read _Fifteen Years Gone_ go ahead and do so. It's short. It won't take you but maybe 90 seconds. In this story I will be starting out from Rory finishing up on the campaign trail and writing up to and possibly beyond where we're at with _Fifteen Years Gone_. Also, I own nothing relating to Gilmore Girls, it's characters or any of the places or things mentioned in this story.

* * *

Chapter 1: "Silly, me. Only an idiot would ask a Gilmore if she wants coffee."

* * *

Rory was incredibly nervous as she walked down the long hallway of the fourth floor of the Penn's View Apartment building her ex-boyfriend lived in. She had just had what may be the most important job interview of her life yet she was more nervous to see him again. It had been two years since they had last spoken. She had been in Philly a couple of times since while on President Elect Barack Obama's campaign, but she had avoided seeing him. But, now that the election was over she was looking into other job opportunities and one of those was with the _Philadelphia Inquirer_. The editor had read a lot of her work that she had been writing for Hugo and even some of her Yale pieces and called her in for an interview. It went really well. The editor seemed to really like her and her writing, plus she was really impressed with the papers history. Now Rory just had to wait for an answer and was hoping to hear back from him before she went back to Stars Hollow later on in the evening. With the possibility of living and working in the same city, Rory felt it was only right that she now pay Jess Mariano a visit.

* * *

And that is how she found herself first walking into Truncheon for only the second time in her life. Jess' business partners and friends Matt and Chris informed her that Jess was home writing.

"You won't find him upstairs, though," Matt told her.

"Yeah, he moved out last year," Chris said.

"Oh, well, can you tell me where he is living now?" Rory asked, "And give me directions."

"Well, it's not too far," Matt said.

"Yeah," Chris added, "He still wanted to keep his commute down so he moved into Penn's View across the street."

"Ah, well. I guess I won't have any trouble finding it then. Thank you," Rory told them, "And you think maybe you could refrain from calling him. I'd like to surprise him."

"Sure. See you around, Rory," Matt said.

* * *

She laughed when they told her that while he had moved out of the apartment upstairs, he had only gone as far as the apartment complex across the street. With Jess' new address she had walked across the street and was lucky enough to sneak in as another tenant was coming out. She was glad not to have to risk Jess turning her away if she asked to be buzzed up. Now she just has to work up the nerve to knock on the door in front of her.

"Rory?" he questioned as he opened the door of his apartment, "Uh, what, what are you doing here?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting a big breakthrough or anything. I had an interview at the _Inquirer_ and if it went as well as think I may end up moving here and since I was already in the neighborhood I thought I should stop by seeing as it's been two years. And I didn't want the first time we see each other again to be at some awkward meeting at Truncheon or something after I've already moved here and we can barely say more than 'Hi' and 'Bye' and have I said 'Hi' yet?"

"No, you haven't."

"Okay, well, Hi," Rory said.

"Hi. You want to come in?" he asked.

"Sure," Rory answered.

"Coffee?" he questioned, but changed his mind at seeing Rory's raised eyebrow, "Silly, me. Only an idiot would ask a Gilmore if she wants coffee."

"Thank you," she said as he handed her a cup and joined her on the couch.

"You're welcome," Jess said, "How did you find me anyway?"

"Matt and Chris. I went to Truncheon first. They told me where to find you," she explained.

"And you got up to my apartment, how?"

"Oh, I was able to sneak in as someone else was coming out. I didn't want to take the chance that you wouldn't let me in. Plus, with you not knowing I was coming gave me time to prepare myself to knock on your door. Your neighbors probably think I'm crazy. I was literally pacing out in the hall for the last twenty minutes mumbling to myself about whether or not I should knock on the door."

"I'm glad you decided to knock. It's good to see you, Rory. Although this isn't the first time I've seen you in two years."

"What, we never saw each other after…"

"After I kissed you and you ran again."

"I didn't run, technically. My conscious just got the better of me."

"I'm sorry I kissed you."

"Really?"

"Well, no not really. I wanted to kiss you. I guess I'm sorry for how it turned out."

"Me too. And for the record I'm not sorry you kissed me either," she told him.

"You're not?" he asked.

"No. I may have wanted it for all the wrong reasons, but I did want it. And it was a good kiss," Rory explained, "That part did always work, you know."

"That it did. And as I was saying, I've seen you since then," Jess said.

"When?" Rory asked.

"Last fall when you were here with the campaign. I went to hear Obama speak and there you were, right in the front row with your pen and paper in hand, furiously writing as much as you could," Jess told her, "I've read everything you wrote. It's all great, Rory. The _Inquirer_ would be lucky to have you."

"So, you'd be okay with us being in the same city?" Rory questioned, "Why didn't you find me after the speech?"

"I wasn't sure if I should. I didn't know if you were there with anybody who wouldn't be happy about my presence or if you hated me. I didn't want to make a fool of myself if I didn't have to," he explained with a laugh, "If you moved here, Ror, I would happily accept you as my neighbor and show you around. I'll have you giving directions like a local in no time."

"Well, if I move here we wouldn't technically be neighbors. I've been looking online at a few places in the Chocolate Works building," she told him with a laugh.

"Of course you have," Jess said.

"Well, what better place to live then one that has chocolate in it's name?"

"Right, so are you in town for awhile?" Jess asked.

"Just today. I told Mom I'd be back tonight. I figured I'd do the interview and then maybe just drive around awhile and get a feel for the city before I headed back, but then I decided to come here," she told him.

"Well, if you've got time I'd be happy to show you around," he said.

"I'd like that," she said as her phone rang from inside her purse, "It's the paper."

"Answer it."

"What if it's a no?"

"What if it's a yes? Just answer it Rory."

"Hello?"

"Is this Rory Gilmore?"

"Yes this is she."

"Miss Gilmore, Michael Days, good to speak to you again," the editor of the _Philadelphia Inquirer_ told her.

"It's good to speak with you again, too sir," Rory said

"Well, Miss Gilmore, I'll cut to the chase. I've read all your articles from the campaign, your time at Yale, both the articles you wrote and and several of the issues you were editor for. I even found a few of your old Chilton articles and talked with several of your references. I'm very impressed Miss Gilmore. You are incredibly talented and have a bright future ahead of you," he told her.

"Thank you and does that future by chance include the _Inquirer_?"

"Well…"


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Okay so it's taking time for me to write for this story because I want things to be as accurate as possible and since I've never been to Philadelphia, I've been doing a lot of research for this story and this chapter especially because I wanted to express Rory's interest in the _Philadelphia Inquirer_ and in doing so I actually found some interesting information about it. In addition, the two apartment complexes I mentioned in chapter one are in fact real apartment buildings in Philadelphia and are located within a couple of blocks from each other. And across the street from Penn's View is a building called The Printing Place so I'm just going to pretend that, that's Truncheon. Also, Michael Days is actually the editor of the _Inquirer's_ sister publication, _Philadelphia Daily News_ and Bill Marimow is editor of the _Inquirer._ I went with Days for this story though because I felt like as I continue writing I would remember his name more. Anyway, thanks for reading. On with chapter two.

* * *

Chapter 2: "So you and Barack Obama were alone in this coffee shop?"

* * *

"Yes, sir. - Thank your sir. - I will. - No problem. - Yes. - Thanks again," Rory could be heard saying in between what Jess assumed were questions she was being asked.

"Well?" Jess asked when Rory hung up the phone after what he believed to be her ninth or tenth 'thank you.' He had stopped counting after three so he couldn't be sure, "What did he say?"

"You're looking at the newest staff writer for the _Philadelphia Inquirer_!" she told him with the biggest smile he had ever seen.

"That's amazing Rory! Congratulations," Jess said cautiously approaching her to give her a hug.

"Thank you!" Rory said graciously accepting the hug.

"We should celebrate," he told her, "I'll take you to Sabrina's."

"Sabrina's?" she questioned.

"Yeah, Sabrina's Cafe. It's only a few miles from here. You'll love it, trust me."

Rory thought for a minute about those last two words. _Did she trust Jess?_ Very soon they were going to be living in the same city again and as the only person here that she knew it was important that they get along and to do that she had to trust him.

"I do."

"What?"

"Trust you. I know you didn't phrase it as a question, but I just wanted you to know that I trust you."

"Thank you," he said, "Shall we?"

"Let's go."

* * *

They got into Jess' car and drove the three miles from the Old City neighborhood where Penn's View was located to Sabrina's Cafe in University City.

"Wow!" Rory said when they arrived.

"It's great isn't it?" Jess asked.

"It's incredible. It's like looking at someone's house or something. I noticed the other buildings as we drove up," she said, "Is it part of the university?"

"Yes, This is Ross Commons. Sabrina's and Spencer ETA Burger next to it along with a small art gallery house the first floor. The top two floors are computers and study areas for the Drexel students. There are a couple more cafe locations and they are actually closer to my apartment, but I thought you'd like this one better."

"I do. I love it and we haven't even gone it, but why are you taking me to Sabrina's when there is a place with burger in it's name right next store? Does this have something to do with your aversion to places with food in the title?"

"No, Spencer's is great, actually and they are even owned by the same people. We can go there if you really want, but we're celebrating and while the burgers there are incredible; to me nothing says 'celebrate' quite like a plate of french toast as big as your head. And for that we have to go to Sabrina's."

"French toast as big as my head?"

"Yep. It's delicious, too. And," he leaned in close to whisper in her ear, "They have the some of the best coffee in Philly."

"Then what are we waiting for. Let's get a table."

* * *

After being shown to their table, Rory and Jess quickly ordered their food. Jess having been to Sabrina's several times easily decided on their whole wheat pancakes. Rory took Jess' suggestion and got their stuffed challah french toast, but added strawberries in addition to the bananas it came with.

"Oh my God, this coffee is amazing," Rory said, "I mean, it's no Luke's, but…"

"Well, no coffee is better than Luke's coffee, right?" Jess questioned.

"Right.

"So, tell me about the campaign trail. I read all your articles, but tell me about behind the scenes. Did you get to spend any one-on-one time with the President Elect?"

"There's not much to tell actually. It was mostly just one hotel room after another. After awhile they all just look the same, but I did get to spend a little time with him though."

"Really?"

"Yep. A couple of months before he announced his candidacy he came to Yale and I interviewed him for the paper. Then one night when I first joined the campaign trail I couldn't sleep and went down to the little coffee shop in the hotel we were staying at and he came in."

"So you and Barack Obama were alone in this coffee shop?"

"Well me, him, and his security detail," she said, "He remembered me from Yale and asked how I was liking my job. We must have talked for like an hour or something, drinking cup after cup. He's a big fan of coffee. We ended up finding ourselves talking over cups of coffee a few times."

"That's seriously cool, Rory," Jess said, "How come nothing like that ended up in any of your articles?"

"It didn't seem right. Our conversations weren't technically off the record or anything, but when we were sitting there talking about our families and our favorite places to get coffee it just seemed like a couple of friends instead of reporter and presidential candidate, you know?"

"Yeah. I can respect that. And I'm sure he appreciates that you kept whatever conversations you two had to yourselves."

* * *

"This is delicious," Rory said taking her first bite of french toast after their food arrived, "I will definitely have to come back all the time when I move here."

"I really like that you're moving here," Jess said with a slight smile, "It will give us a chance to be friends again. I'd like that."

"Yeah, me too," she said returning the smile.

"But, why of all the papers in the country and the world even did you decide on the the _Philadelphia Inquirer_?" he asked.

"Well, after I graduated I sent out my resume to practically every paper in the country. I didn't hear anything back right away and then I started writing for Hugo Grey. About halfway through my time on the campaign though I started getting calls and emails from papers asking me to consider speaking with them when the election was over. The _Inquirer_ was one of those," she said.

"Okay, but what on the magical Rory Gilmore pro/con list set it above the rest?" he asked.

"Well, its history for one."

"Its history?"

"Seriously, Jess? You live here. You read this paper everyday and you don't know the significance of its history?"

"No," he explained with a laugh, "It's a newspaper Rory. I skim a few pages then I toss it away and repeat the process the next day. I love books, but I've never gotten to jazzed by a newspaper."

"Well, you'll enjoy the history of this one," she told him.

"Oh really. Well, then please share."

"For starters, it's the third oldest surviving paper in the country. It was founded in 1829," she began, "Then in 1840 the publisher at the time, Jesper Harding made it the first paper in the country to publish several works of Charles Dickens."

"Dickens, seriously?" Jess asked.

"Yep and that's not all. In 1845 they published Poe's, "The Raven." And, in the mid 1850s when he was just a teenager, a young Samuel Clemens worked as a typesetter at a few papers and for a few months one of those was the _Philadelphia Inquirer_ ," Rory told him.

"Mark Twain worked at the same paper you just got a job at?" he questioned.

"Yeah."

"That's awesome."

"I know. I mean he didn't write for it and it's not in the same building anymore, but just the knowledge of working for a paper he once had a hand in creating is a great feeling," Rory said.

"So, what else drew you to the _Inquirer_?" he asked, "You said its history was just one thing that set it above the rest. What else makes it so special?"

"Well, I like that it's not too far from Stars Hollow so I can still see my mom."

"Just a couple hundred miles. It's not too long of a drive."

"I also like the idea of having a permanent place to be. I loved working on the campaign and getting to travel all over the country, but I'm looking forward to just being in one place for a while," she told him, "And while I love all that and the paper's history, one thing I really like about it is that it's one of only a handful of east coast papers not run by HPG."

"HPG?" he questioned.

"Huntzberger Publishing Group," she explained.

"Huntzberger? As in the blonde dick at Yale?"

"Jess!"

"Sorry. What you don't want to work for your boyfriend and his family?" Jess asked.

"No. No, on many counts, actually," she said, "One, Logan doesn't work for his father anymore. He left the company last year. Two, there isn't enough money in the world Mitchum could offer me to get me to work for him. And three, Logan and I aren't together anymore."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No you're not."

"You're right, I'm not. The guy was a jerk. But I know you loved him and it had to have hurt to have your relationship end."

"It did."

"How long ago?"

"Um, graduation."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Just, we guys really suck don't we? Not that I want to be compared to him in any way, but we both left you with pretty crappy memories of your graduation days."

"True, but honestly I'd trade our breakup at my Yale graduation with your non-talking phone call at my Chilton one, any day."

"What happened?" he asked.

"The night before my grandparents had this big party for me and he well, Logan, he uh, proposed," she said.

"He proposed?" Jess asked.

"Yep. He had just taken this job in Palo Alto and wanted us to move there together as more than just boyfriend and girlfriend. I told him I had to think about it and after the ceremony I told him that as much I loved him and the idea of being married to him, I just wasn't ready" she explained, "He told me we either had to take the next step or take none at all."

"He gave you an ultimatum," he stated.

"Yeah. For him it was all or nothing. I wasn't ready for the all he was asking for so I chose nothing," Rory said.

"Do you regret it? Turning him down?" Jess asked.

"No. For a while afterwards when I was on the campaign I thought about it. I missed him and wondered if I made the right choice. He was such a big part of my life for so long you know," she said, "But eventually I realized my mom was right."

"About what?" he asked.

"She told me after we broke up that she thought I made the right choice," she told him, "She told me that when it's right I won't hesitate or want time to think. That I'll just know."

* * *

"So," Rory said as they walked through the park near Jess' apartment, "How much longer are you going to ignore telling me about the writing you've done since we last saw each other?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jess said with his classic smirk.

"Oh, please Jess. Be excited about this. You wrote another book!" she exclaimed.

"Did I? Huh. So that's what all those royalty checks and interviews are about," he said with a laugh.

"I can't believe you wrote another book and didn't even bother to tell me. I had to find out from another journalist on the campaign," Rory said.

"I thought about calling you when it was published or sending a copy to Lorelai's, but I wasn't sure if it would be okay considering how we left things, but I'm glad you read it."

"Who said anything about reading it? I just said I heard about it, not that I read it."

"Give me a break, Gilmore. You read it and you know it. Probably several times, too."

"Alright, you caught me. I did read it, but just once. Okay, maybe twice. Three time's tops," she said with a smile after the look he gave her, "And it's a great book Jess."

"Thank you. So someone on the campaign told you about it?" he asked.

"Yeah, a couple months after I joined. This guy, Nathan, that I met when I first got there told me about it. We were kind of brought there by similar situations, except he wanted to get married and stay where they were and his girlfriend wanted to take a job across the country."

"Wow. Major coincidence."

"Just a bit. It helped though. We were going through similar, yet slightly different breakups and it helped having someone around feeling as bad as you," she explained, "But yeah, he saw me reading _The Subsect_ and asked if I had read your latest novel. When I told him I didn't realize you had written another one he handed me his copy of _Small Town Charm?_ and I stayed up that whole night reading it."

"Really?"

"Yep. I've told you before Jess. You've got such a great brain. Any words that come out of your mind are going to be incredibly brilliant. And I really do love the book, Jess. It's a little satirical, yet also true to life. It's amazing. I can't wait to read your next one," Rory said, "You are working on another book, right? Matt and Chris said you were home writing today."

"Yes, I'm working on another book. I don't have much, yet, it's still in the beginning stages," he told her.

"Any chance I can read any of it?" she asked.

"I'll think about it. Maybe when I have something more solid I'll let you give it a read through," Jess said.

"Yay!"

* * *

"I guess you have to head back to Stars Hollow?" Jess asked as he walked her to her car later that afternoon.

"Yeah, but it's just for a little while. I have to come back and get a place set up before I start my job," she said.

"When do you start?"

"After the inauguration. I'm doing a little freelance work for Hugo and then I'm covering the inauguration for him before I start here the following week."

"So, when do you think you'll be back?"

"Not sure. Couple weeks maybe. Probably after Thanksgiving. It's been months since I've spent any length of time in Stars Hollow so I'd like to spend as much time there now as I can before I move," she explained.

"Understandable. So, I'll see you when you get back then? I'll even help you look at places if you want," Jess said.

"You know you could always come for Thanksgiving. I'm sure Luke would love it and you'd get to see April again, plus your Mom and your sister," Rory said, "And I wouldn't be opposed to the idea either."

"How about I think about it?" Jess asked.

"I'll take it," Rory said, "Don't be a stranger though, Jess. You've got my number. Give me a call sometime."

"I might just do that. See you later, Rory," he said.

"Bye Jess," she said giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before getting into her car to drive back to Stars Hollow to deliver her news to her mother.

* * *

 **AN:** There you go, chapter two. It ended up a lot longer than I originally set out. I hope you like it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: "Offspring! I missed you. You've been gone too long,"

* * *

"Mom, I'm home," Rory said as she walked into the house Lorelai once again shared with Luke.

Luke and Lorelai started up their relationship again after Rory's bon voyage party. They started slow at first, but in the year and half since getting back together they found themselves living together once again. And now Rory was just waiting for the day when they would get engaged again.

"Offspring! I missed you. You've been gone too long," Lorelai said after coming down the stairs to greet her.

"You saw me this morning Mom."

"Yes, I know, but I only just got you back and now you're off interviewing for jobs in cities that aren't here."

"You knew I was getting interests from papers outside of Connecticut."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I like the idea of you moving so far away."

"Philadelphia is like two hundred miles. It's not that far. You'll see me lots."

"So it's official then?" Lorelai asked, "You got the job?"

"I did. Mr. Days called me a couple hours after the interview. I start the week after the inauguration, January 26th," Rory said.

"A couple hours? Your interview was at nine. What took so long coming home?" she asked.

"Just a sec, Mom," Rory said as her phone beeped inside her purse indicating she had a message, "Could be Hugo. He said he was going to email me some hotel information for the inauguration."

* * *

 _Jess - You get home, okay?_

 _Rory - Aww. Were you worried about me?_

 _Jess - No, just following up on that whole, not being a stranger thing._

 _Rory - I appreciate that and yes I made it home okay. I'm actually telling my mom about my day now. She asked what took so long getting home._

 _Jess - What did you tell her?_

 _Rory - Nothing yet. You texted before I could answer._

 _Jess - Are you gonna tell her about me?_

 _Rory - Yeah. She knows you live there. No reason to keep it a secret that we're friends again._

 _Jess - Makes sense. So, I guess I'll talk to you later?_

 _Rory - Yeah. I'll call you tomorrow or something._

* * *

"I take it that wasn't all an email from Hugo," Lorelai said.

"What makes you say that?" Rory asked.

"That was an awful lot of back and forth for email and I haven't seen you smile like that since… I don't think I've ever seen you smile like that," Lorelai said, "You were texting a boy weren't you? Did you meet someone new? When? Where? What's his name? Is he why it took so long getting home?"

"Yes, I was texting a boy and yes he's why I didn't come home right after the interview," Rory said, "He lives in Philly and we spent the afternoon together after my interview and he was checking to see I made it home."

"Who is this boy? Did you take this job to be with him?"

"No, I didn't. We're not together, Mom. We're just friends. I went to his apartment after the interview. We hadn't seen each other in a couple years so I wanted to clear the air before I got the job and moved there."

"A couple years? Wait, Jess? Jess lives in Philadelphia. Last time you saw him was right before Lane's wedding. You spent the afternoon with Jess?"

"Yes."

"Yes, it's Jess?"

"Mom!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist that one again. So you guys are talking again. When did that happen?" Lorelai questioned.

"Just today. I really wanted this job. The interview went so well that I had a feeling I'd get it so I decided to talk to Jess now rather than wait until I moved there and we bumped into each other somewhere," Rory explained.

"Makes sense. So you guys are good again? No one hates the other? No ones running away?" Lorelai asked.

"We're good," Rory said, "Or rather we're as good as we can be after one afternoon of conversation. So much has happened between us, it's going to take time. We're not just going to become best friends over night."

"Well, that's good."

"It is?"

"Yeah, it's good you're not rushing your relationship and while I'm still not thrilled with the idea of you moving away, I'm glad you'll have a familiar face around. Even if it is Jess' face."

"Well thank you. I'm gonna go back there after Thanksgiving to look at apartments. He offered to help me look."

"Are you looking into places in his building?"

"Maybe. I was looking at some online earlier this week and I really like the look of the apartments in this complex a few blocks from Jess'. It's the Chocolate Works Apartment complex."

"Sounds delicious."

"The building is incredibly beautiful and the apartments are amazing. I want to see them in person before I make a decision, but from what I've seen online I really like it."

"Well, it sounds like you've got a plan going so that's good. You'll have to show it to me later," Lorelai said, "So what did you and Jess do today?"

"We talked at his apartment for a bit and then went for lunch. He took me to this cafe that has the best coffee and this incredible stuffed french toast that's as big as my head. It was so good," Rory said.

"Yummy. You'll have to show it to me sometime when I'm down there," Lorelai said.

"Oh, definitely. And the couple who own the cafe also own the burger place that was next to it. Jess said the burgers are really good so we'll have to check that place out too sometime," Rory told her.

"Oh absolutely. Good coffee, ginormous french toast, and burgers all in the same place. I may just have to move there myself," Lorelai said, "So, the conversation between you guys was okay? No yelling?"

"No, yelling. At least not yet. We both apologized for the kiss that happened the last time we saw each other and I told him about Logan's proposal, but I've never told him about Dean and doubt Luke has ever mentioned it," Rory said, "I don't think he'll take it too well, but if we're going to be friends he deserves to know."

"No, I don't imagine he will, but you're right he does deserve to know," Lorelai said.

"Yeah. I mean, for a long time I thought Jess was going to be my first, but then he wasn't. I don't regret having my first time with Dean. I cared about him so much. I just regret the way it happened and all the people it hurt," Rory said, "I just don't want Jess to hate me for making that choice."

"Oh, hun. I don't think he'll hate you. He'll be upset for sure, but he won't hate you," Lorelai assured her.

"I hope you're right. Today was such a nice day. We spent the day just talking and walking around like we used to even before we dated. I liked it. I don't want my past with Dean to mess up my friendship with Jess."

"And it won't, trust me. Jess knows you, kid. I didn't always understand it or even like it most of the time, but you and Jess well, you just always seemed to get each other."

"I guess you're right."

"I know I am. It's like when you told me he was the one that convinced you to go back to Yale. I didn't entirely get it at the time and certainly didn't like that Jess coming to talk to you was what gave you the push to go back to school, but I was glad for it. Jess was an incredible pain in the ass the entire time I knew him when he lived here, but from what Luke has told me, he's grown up a lot and he's made quite a name for himself with his books."

"You've read them?"

"I have. They're really good, too. It's great to see him finally putting that brain of his to good use."

"He's working on another one. He was doing some writing when I showed up. He said he'll consider letting me read it when he has more written," Rory said.

"That's nice of him," Lorelai said, "Okay, so dinner?"

"Pick a movie and I'll order a pizza," Rory said.

* * *

"I invited Jess to come for Thanksgiving," Rory told her mom as they started their second movie of the night.

"Oh. What did he say?" Lorelai asked.

"He said he'd think about it. I'm not sure if he'll come though. It's been years since he was back here."

"True. Luke has thought about asking him to come before. He's gone out there to see him a couple of times and he's taken Liz and Doula, too so he could meet his sister. He may come this time though since it was you who asked."

"I don't know. I hope he does."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"I guess we will."

* * *

 **AN:** Alright so not a lot of Rory and Jess in this chapter, but for now they're not living in the same city we have to survive on texts and phone calls.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: "Haven't you always wished that you could ask an author questions about their books?"

* * *

In the week following Rory's interview in Philadelphia, she and Jess exchanged phone calls and text messages everyday. Most of their conversations were the same as when they were teenagers and consisted mostly of debates about books, music, and movies. They also talked about what apartments Rory was going to be looking at. She planned to drive back into Philly the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Since he had a spare room, Jess offered to let her stay with him for as long as it took to find the right place. While hesitant at first to share an apartment with Jess for a few days, Rory was grateful to not have to pay for a hotel. The only thing they hadn't talked about was whether or not Jess was coming to Stars Hollow for Thanksgiving. Rory didn't want to push and ask if he was coming and Jess never said if he was coming or not.

* * *

Early in the morning the day before Thanksgiving, Luke was busy prepping food for the next day's meals and getting the diner ready to open for the day when he heard a knock on the diner's door.

"Jess?" Luke questioned once he opened the door, "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Uncle Luke," Jess said, "I'm here for Thanksgiving."

"Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah, Rory invited me. She didn't tell you?"

"No, not a word."

"Well, I didn't actually tell her I was coming. I told her I would think about it. I basically decided last night and got a train early this morning."

"So, Rory doesn't know you're here?" Luke asked.

"No," Jess told him, "I figured I'd surprise her when her and Lorelai come in for breakfast."

"Sounds good. You can wait upstairs and when they get here I'll give Rory an excuse to go up," Luke said.

"Okay. So, you don't open for another couple of hours. Do you need any help?" Jess asked.

"Sure," Luke said, "It's good to have you here, Jess. I'm glad you came."

"Me, too."

* * *

"Lukey, coffee!" Lorelai exclaimed walking up to the counter in the diner.

"Morning, Lorelai. Rory," Luke said greeting Lorelai with a kiss before pouring their coffee.

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said pulling out her phone to check she hadn't missed any calls or texts from Jess.

"What's up?" Lorelai questioned.

"He hasn't called," Rory said, "I'd hoped that he would at least call or something to tell me what he decided."

"Jess?"

"Yeah."

"Well, honey I don't know what to tell you. He never said he was coming, right?"

"No, but he never said he wasn't coming either. He should at least call and tell me one way or the other."

"Hey, Rory," Luke said interrupting their conversation, "I was moving some stuff around upstairs the other day and came across one of Jess' books. An old copy of _Oliver Twist_ I think it was. I was going to send it to him, but then I remembered you were heading down there this weekend. Would you mind hanging onto it and taking it to him the next time you see him?"

"Yeah, sure. No problem," Rory told him, "Is it upstairs?"

"On the table," Luke said as she went behind the curtain to Luke's old apartment.

"What was that about?" Lorelai asked.

"You'll found out in a second," Luke said with a smile.

"Oh my God!" they heard Rory scream from upstairs.

"He's up there, isn't he, Jess?" Lorelai questioned.

"He came in early this morning. He wanted to surprise her," Luke told her.

"Well, he definitely succeeded."

* * *

"Oh my God!" Rory exclaimed when she opened the door to Luke's apartment and found much more than an old book, "What are you doing here?"

"Tomorrow's Thanksgiving. You invited me, remember," Jess said.

"Yeah, I remember, but I didn't…" Rory began.

"You didn't think I would come," Jess said.

"I hoped. I'm glad you decided to come, Jess," she said as she gave him a hug, "I missed you, Dodger."

"I missed you, too, Ror," he told her.

"How long are you staying?" Rory asked.

"Until Sunday," he told her, "I caught the train in and was sort of hoping you'd let me ride back with you."

"Really? A little presumptuous, aren't we?" Rory questioned.

"No, just hoping my good friend will be kind enough to save me another long, noisy train road," Jess said.

"I guess I could stand to spend three hours in a car with you," Rory said.

"You guess?"

"Okay, I'd be happy to. Especially considering you're letting me stay with you while I look for apartments."

"So, what now?"

"Well, how about you join us for breakfast and then we can take a walk."

"Bridge?"

"Bridge."

* * *

After breakfast, Rory and Jess headed out to the old bridge, books in hand. Jess brought an old standby, a Hemingway novel, _A Farewell to Arms_ and Rory brought Jess' book _Small Town Charm?_.

"Why are you reading that again?" Jess asked.

"You know I read books many times, Jess," she told him.

"Yes, I do know that, but why mine. Why now?" he questioned.

"Because you're here," Rory said as if that explained everything, "And since you're here I can get your thoughts on my favorite parts. What were you doing when you wrote about Lexi's first kiss? Where were you when you wrote the words 'He loved her. He loved her and he let her go. He let her go,'"

"'Because he wasn't the person he wanted to be and she deserved better,'" Jess finished.

"Haven't you always wished that you could ask an author questions about their books?" Rory asked.

"I suppose so, yeah," he said.

"Well, so have I and I'm not going to waste this opportunity. I'm going to read your book and when I have questions you're going to answer them," she told him.

* * *

They stayed at the bridge for hours. Jess never even opened his book. They spent the day reading Jess' book out loud to each other. Jess answered every question she asked about the characters and plot of the novel. She was avoiding one question and they both knew it. Rory knew the moment she first started reading _Small Town Charm?_ that Lexi was based on her. While it was a little satirical and he poked fun at small town life, it was also very much a fictional take on Jess' time in Stars Hollow and at the heart of the story was the main character, Lexi, a blonde haired, green-eyed beauty who fell for the bad boy from the big city the moment he arrived. Rory loved that he had written a book with her as inspiration, but she wasn't ready to tell him how much she loved it.

"You ready to head back?" Jess asked.

"Yeah. Mom and I have a movie night planned and I still have to stop by Al's," Rory said.

"I'll walk with you and help you carry it all to the house," he told her.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," she said.

"I know, but I want to."

"Thank you."

* * *

"You do realize tomorrow is Thanksgiving, right? A holiday famous for its copious amounts of food," Jess questioned after they left Al's Pancake World with two large bags each of Al's Chinese.

"Yes, I do, but we're only having one dinner. It won't be enough. We'll be starved if we don't eat at least half of this tonight and the rest tomorrow," Rory explained.

"Just one Thanksgiving dinner. My mistake, you usually eat at least four."

"No, it's usually just two or three. That was just one time when we had four. But this year everyone is coming to the inn."

"Really? Everyone?"

"Yep, us, Sookie & Jackson, Lane & Zach, your mom & T.J, Doula, my grandparents. Basically every important person that I haven't seen for more than a few hours at a time in the last year and a half. Mom was able to convince Luke and Sookie to work together on one big dinner, as well as talk my grandparents into coming out here."

"Wow! And everyone agreed to this?"

"It took a little arm twisting to get Luke and Sookie to work together, but Mom explained that I would much rather have one dinner to go to where I can see everyone at once rather than spend little amounts of time at each gathering."

"So this whole big gathering was all Lorelai's idea?"

"Yeah and I really appreciate it, too. It will be easier to visit with everyone when we're all in the same place instead of visiting Sookie's, then Lane's, then going out to Hartford for my grandparent's," Rory said, "I've been back for a little while, but I've been so busy with articles and preparing for all my interviews and everything, I just haven't had the time to spend with everyone that I'd like."

"Well, now you get that chance," Jess said, "And thank you for including me in all this. For inviting me and everything."

"Of course. I want you here. You're important to me, too, Jess," Rory said giving him a brief hug as they stood on her porch, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Later," Jess said before heading back to the diner to see if Luke needed a hand with anything.

* * *

Thanksgiving morning everyone was gathered at the inn. The dining room was all set with tables for everyone that was coming and the few guests that were staying to eat. Most of the guests were only staying there while visiting families they were spending the holiday with, but some wanted to stay at the inn so Lorelai had a couple tables set for them. While Luke and Sookie were busy in the kitchen getting the food prepared Lorelai and Rory were greeting everyone as they came in. They had drinks and appetizers set out so everyone would have a chance to mingle and talk while waiting for the big meal.

"Jess!" Rory called over to him while telling her grandfather about her new job, "There is someone I'd like you to meet."

"Hey, Rory. Happy Thanksgiving," Jess said.

"Happy Thanksgiving. Jess, this is my grandfather, Richard Gilmore," she told him, "Grandpa, Jess Mariano."

"It's an honor, sir. Rory speaks very highly of you," Jess said shaking the older man's hand.

"I'm quite proud of her myself," Richard said, "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but Luke is your uncle?"

"Yes sir, he is."

"Very good. Luke's a good man."

"That he is. He's helped me out a lot over the years."

"Oh, what sort of help did you require?"

"Grandpa!"

"It's fine. I got into a lot of trouble when I was younger. My mom actually sent me here to live with Uncle Luke when I was seventeen either because she was sick of me or because she hoped he could push me to get my act together," Jess explained, "It didn't work however. I wound up being more trouble than I was worth, but he never stopped trying to be there for me with either words of advice or money a few times when I needed it. I don't think I'd be where I am today without him."

"And where exactly is that, Jess?" Richard asked.

"I live and work in Philadelphia. I work at Truncheon Books. It's a small publishing house and bookstore," Jess explained.

"And…" Rory stressed looking directly at Jess urging him to tell her grandfather what else he does.

"And I'm an author," Jess said, "I've had two books published and I'm currently writing a third."

"An author. How wonderful," Richard said, "Mariano? Wait, you wrote _The Subsect_."

"I did sir," Jess said.

"You've read it, Grandpa?" Rory asked.

"I have and it was wonderful. You are an incredible writer Jess. Though I'm afraid I was unaware you had written a second novel."

"Thank you sir. I can send you a copy when we get back to Philly."

"We?"

"Yeah," Rory said, "Jess is staying for the weekend and riding back with me on Sunday. He's going to help me look at apartments this week."

"That's very kind of you Jess," Richard said, "Don't forget to let me know when you've found a place Rory so I can get everything arranged."

"I will Grandpa," Rory said.

"Well, I suppose I should be getting back to your grandmother. Save your mother from having to entertain her any longer," Richard said, "Jess, wonderful to meet you."

"You too, sir," Jess said shaking his hand again, "What was that about your apartment? What does he have to arrange?"

"My trust fund from my great-grandmother. I don't have full access to it until after my next birthday so I need grandpa's approval to tap into it. I have a lot of money saved already. I haven't made much writing for an online magazine, but since practically everything on the campaign trail was paid for I was able to save almost everything I made. I can afford an apartment on my own, but I wouldn't have much after awhile so grandpa is going to access the trust fund to help out with the apartment."

"Huh."

"What?"

"I guess I just didn't realize you even had a trust fund. I mean, you never said anything."

"It's not something I brag about and since I've never had access to it or any need to access it I don't think about it."

"Makes sense."

"And just because I'll have access to a lot of money next year doesn't change who I am. I'm not going to go crazy and spend it all on something stupid or stop working just because I have it."

"I know, Ror, I know. Relax, I wasn't criticizing. I was just surprised. I know you're not going to waste it or change who you are because of it. Trust me, I know. I've got a bit of money myself now, but aside from my apartment and splurging on a few first editions I'm still basically the same I've always been."

"Well, one thing has changed."

"What's that?"

"You're not so monosyllabic anymore."

"Huh."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Chapter four got a bit too long for my liking so I am continuing Thanksgiving in this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 5: "Nothing says crazy Black Friday shopper like a Gilmore Girl."

* * *

"Hey Luke?" Rory asked walking into the kitchen after finishing her conversation with Jess.

"Yeah, Rory, what's up?" he asked.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" she asked.

"Sure. Sookie I'll be back in a minute," Luke told her, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to fill you on something Mom said this morning."

"Oh, what's that?"

"It's going to snow today."

"Snow? The forecast didn't say anything about...Silly me, who needs a forecast when you've got Lorelai Gilmore. So, why tell me it's going to snow?"

"Luke? Come on, it's the perfect time. You already live together again. You love each other. And you know how Mom's always said the best things in her life have happened when it snow's? Well? Why not make it one more?"

"I have been thinking about it. I've actually had the ring with me all the time for a few weeks now just waiting for the right moment. You think today is it?"

"As long as it's snowing and it's you asking, it will be perfect."

"I take it I have your blessing then?"

"You've always had it, Luke," she told him, surprising him with a hug, "I love you, Luke."

"I love you too, Rory," he told her, "We should head back."

* * *

Everything amazingly went smoothly during the Thanksgiving meal. Jess and Richard continued their conversation from earlier. This time talking about some of their favorite books and authors. They found a kindred spirit in the other as Hemingway fans. Richard even surprised Jess by inviting him to the next evening's Friday Night Dinner with the girls and Luke so that he could show Jess his book collection and continue their debate on Hemingway's best work.

Rory was glad to see her grandfather and Jess getting along so well. She had feeling they would. She was really enjoying sharing this meal at the Dragonfly with all her closest friends, neighbors, and family. She couldn't help but laugh though every time she saw Luke steal a glance out the window to check to to see if it had started snowing yet.

Lorelai was so focused in the conversations she was having she didn't pick up the scent of the snow as it first began to fall, but Luke saw it and interrupted her conversation.

"Lorelai, you want to take a walk outside with me?" Luke asked.

"Outside?" Lorelai questioned.

"Yeah, it will just take a minute," he said.

"Okay. Let me just grab my coat," she said and followed him to the front door after putting it on.

"What are you all waiting for?" Rory said getting up from the table after they left, "Let's go to the window and watch."

"You say that like you know what's about to happen," Jess said.

"That's because I do and I'll be damned if I'm going to miss it," she said taking his hand and pulling him to the window.

* * *

"It's snowing!" Lorelai exclaimed as soon as they stepped outside.

"It's just snow. Frozen drops of water. Nothing to get too excited about," Luke said.

"Yes it is. Snow's a wonderful thing of beauty," she said, "Some of the best moments of my life happened when it snowed. My best birthday, my first kiss. Rory even took her first steps in the lobby of the Independence Inn while it was snowing for the first time that season. So many amazing things have happened when it snowed. It's magical."

"Lorelai," Luke said having stopped walking and turned so that they were facing each other, "While I don't exactly agree with your wacky take on the weather I know how much it means to you so how about I add one more good memory to that list?"

"What are saying? Luke, are you?" she questioned as he began to kneel in front of her.

"Lorelai Gilmore? Will you marry me?"

"Yes, absolutely yes!" she exclaimed before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Pulling Jess with her, Rory ran out of the inn towards them, "Mom! Oh my God! Congratulations! Let me see it."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lorelai asked her showing her the ring.

"It's incredible. You did good Luke," Rory told him giving him a hug, "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Rory. It was actually my mother's engagement ring. I'd forgotten I had it before, but on a trip to the bank to put some things in my safety deposit box I saw it in there and knew it was the one," Luke said.

"Congrats Uncle Luke," Jess said giving him a hug, "Lorelai, congratulations."

"Thanks Jess," she told him surprising them both by giving him a hug, "You do both realize that you're going to be in the wedding the together, right?"

"Really?" Jess asked, "I assumed as much with Rory, but are you sure?"

"Yeah, Jess, we're sure," Luke said, "I'd want no one else next to me as my best man. What do you say?"

"Absolutely. I'd be happy to," Jess said.

"Great, Ror?" Lorelai questioned, "You're going to be my maid of honor, right?"

"Well, duh, of course. I'm so happy for you mom. You deserve this," Rory told her, "But, now we should get back inside, If we take any longer someone's going to get pushed through the window."

Going back inside the inn they received congratulations and best wishes from everyone. Emily of course offered to help and Lorelai told her she would let her know what she needed help with once they started making plans. She would love to do it all herself, but after eloping with Christopher she felt she owed it to her mother to let her help a bit with this one.

* * *

"Luke? What in the hell are you doing down here at two o'clock in the morning?" Jess asked as he came downstairs to the diner early the next morning.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Luke said, "Rory and Lorelai are getting ready to go out so I'm getting coffee and some food ready for them."

"You didn't wake me. I was up writing when I heard you down here," Jess explained, "What are they even doing up at this hour?"

"Going shopping!" Rory exclaimed as she and Lorelai entered the diner.

"Yeah, future nephew, Black Friday shopping awaits! You gotta get up early if you want to catch that deal," Lorelai said.

"Shopping, of course," Jess said, "Nothing says crazy Black Friday shopper like a Gilmore Girl."

"Alright, so you've got two thermos of coffee for later, two cups for right now, doughnuts for later, and I've made you cinnamon rolls to eat on the way," Luke said, "Now go. Go have fun and be crazy before I realize what time it is and my mind realizes how much junk I've just given you."

"Thanks Luke. See you later Jess," Rory said as she carried half of the food and coffee out to the car.

"Bye," Jess said.

"Later nephew. Bye doll," Lorelai said kissing Luke goodbye before grabbing the rest of the food and coffee and following Rory out of the diner.

"So, you wanna crash upstairs for another couple of hours?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, I think I will. Beats going back to the house," Luke said.

* * *

Hours later Rory and Lorelai returned with bags full of new clothes, some Christmas presents for their friends and family, and a few items for Rory to put in her new apartment once she found one.

"Coffee?" Jess asked them as they sat at the counter in the diner.

"Please!" Lorelai told him.

"Thanks," Rory told him.

"You two have fun?" he asked.

"Yep and you'll never believe what I got at the bookstore," Rory said.

"Um, a book?"

"Yes, but not just any book," she told him pulling out yet another copy of _Small Town Charm?_

"Rory you already have that book."

"True, but this one's a paperback. Easier to carry around. Plus, my other copy has your notes in it. I need this one for when I'm in the mood to just read the story," she explained, "Plus I got this."

"A bookmark."

"But not just any bookmark. Look at it."

"Geeze. I can't believe they actually make these. Who would want a book with a quote from my book on it? Besides you that is."

"Lots of people, Jess. I wasn't the only one looking at your book today. I saw a lot of disappointed girls upset that "You're a book tease" was the only option. I however, love it and I am glad to see it make a bookmark. It's perfect for whenever I reread your books."

"Yeah, yeah. And I still say you don't have to keep reading it or buying it. You know I can get you as many copies as you want?"

"I know, but I like the feeling of seeing it in a store amongst all the classics and bestsellers. I'm so proud of you Jess. I can't help but support what you've done by buying your book."

"Fine, I give up. Spend all your money on as many copies of my books as you find."

"Thank you."

* * *

Rory was amazed. They had just had the best Friday Night Dinner ever. There were no arguments between Lorelai and her parents. Emily was even being kind to Jess. She apparently either forgot about Jess' previous visit for dinner or was for some reason accepting of who he was now. Either way, Rory was glad. With Lorelai marrying Luke, Jess was going to be part of the family, too and since her grandfather already liked him she was hoping Emily would at least be civil.

As soon as dinner was over, Rory found herself in her grandfather's study with him and Jess looking through his collection of books as they both tried to convince her that she should give Hemingway yet another try. Jess loved Richard's collection and loved seeing his Hemingway first editions ever more. While they were discussing books, Emily, Luke, and Lorelai were discussing the upcoming wedding.

"When do you think you'd like to have the wedding, Lorelai?" Emily asked.

"I'm not sure. I was thinking sometime this spring or early summer. Like late April or early May or something," Lorelai said.

"The weather will be perfect that time of year for an outdoor wedding, which I assume is what you want."

"Yes, I was hoping to do it at the inn. We had our first kiss there. I'd like to honor that."

"That sounds lovely. How about May 30th?" Emily questioned pulling out her datebook, "It's the last Saturday in May."

"Works for me," Luke said, "The date isn't as important to me as actually getting to marry you."

"Aww. That's sweet, Luke. Yeah, Mom, May 30th sounds good, but I do want to wait until Rory has a chance to tell her new boss before we really start any heavy planning," Lorelai said, "I'd like for her to have the time off cleared with him before we start making any permanent decisions."

"That makes sense. I wasn't planning to start anything until after the holidays anyway. Places are so busy this time of year I wouldn't want to pile on more until we have a definite idea of what you want."

"Thank you. I do know that Sookie will be doing all the food and the cake. She put her foot down on the that one right after Luke proposed so that's covered."

"Wonderful. And we already know it will be incredible so that's good. I've got one more thing covered for you, though," Emily told her, "I'll be right back."

"What's this Mom?" Lorelai asked when Emily handed her a box after coming back downstairs, "Oh my. Is this?"

"Yes, it's the one I wore on my wedding day and my mother before me. Consider it your something old. It's yours now," Emily said.

"Oh Mom. I don't know what to say. It's beautiful. Thank you," Lorelai told her, giving her a hug.

"So, what did we miss?" Richard asked as he, Rory, and Jess came out of the study.

"Just throwing around some ideas for the wedding," Emily told him.

"Ror, look what Grandma gave me," Lorelai said.

"Oh my. It's gorgeous Grandma," Rory said.

"Thank you, Rory. It was my mother's. She wore it on her wedding day and I wore it on mine," Emily said.

"And now Mom will wear it on hers," Rory said.

"And if you're lucky I'll let you wear it when you get married," Lorelai said.

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Wow!"

* * *

After the busy days they had on Thanksgiving and the day after Rory and Jess spent most of Saturday in the apartment above the diner reading and writing. He was working on his third book while she worked on an article for Hugo. Rory also did a little more research on apartments in Philly. They were heading back there after breakfast Sunday morning and she wanted to be as prepared as possible when it came to looking at apartments throughout the week.

* * *

 **AN:** End of chapter 5. Next chapter: Rory and Jess arrive back in Philly and start their search for an apartment for Rory.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: "Oh, I just can't believe it Jess. I've found my new home."

* * *

Rory and Jess arrived in Philadelphia just after one on Sunday afternoon. After getting settled into her room for the next few days Rory joined Jess in the living room where they ordered enough Chinese food to feed all of Stars Hollow and watched a few movies before they turned in for the evening to rest up for the busy day ahead of them of apartment hunting.

* * *

Rory really liked Jess' apartment and the building manager was nice. The first apartment they looked at was a one bedroom in his building. She liked the idea of having Jess close by, but she wasn't really sure about the apartment.

"What do you think?" Jess asked.

"It's a little small," she said.

"You're on your own. How much space do you need?" he questioned.

"A second bedroom would be good. Maybe make it into an office. It would give me a place to keep my books," Rory said, "That is where yours are."

"True. You have more books than me so maybe you should consider three bedrooms," he joked.

"Funny. Besides, not only is this place small, it's also a little pricey considering how small it is," Rory said.

"Also true. Mine is two bedrooms and double the square footage for a only a few hundred more," Jess said, "So, where to next?"

"Sugar Refinery," Rory told him.

* * *

"I love the brick," Rory said as she and Jess walked through the one bedroom in the Sugar Refinery building.

"Yeah and the hardwood floors are nice, too," Jess said.

"It's bigger, too. Almost a thousand square feet."

"But?"

"I still think I'd like a second room. And maybe a bigger closet."

"Oh yes, for your ever increasing shoe collection. How could I forget?"

"Hey! I don't have as many shoes as my mother."

"Uh huh, sure. So what's next?"

* * *

Their next stop was Crafts House where they looked at a couple of apartments. They checked out both a one bedroom and a two bedroom. Rory liked that they were bi-levels and had a little more space than the first apartment she looked at, but she didn't like that in both the kitchen was really small and offered little space to move around.

"But you don't cook," Jess told her when she voiced her complaint about the size of the kitchen.

"I can cook some things, I just choose not to," Rory said, "Plus, I'm sure at some point Mom and Luke will come to visit and he'll want a kitchen to cook in that isn't the size of a closet."

* * *

"So day one was pretty much a bust," Jess said as they entered his apartment with a pizza for dinner.

"Not entirely. At least I know more of what I want and don't want now," Rory said.

"True. So, where are we looking tomorrow?" Jess asked.

"A couple places. I'm going to check out The Franklin and Wistar Alley. The Franklin is a little closer to the paper and the Wistar Alley apartment has a fireplace, this real pretty spiral staircase, and a rooftop deck that would be incredible to go out onto in the spring to read."

"Sounds nice. One or two bedrooms?"

"At The Franklin, I'm looking at both options, but Wistar Alley only has a one bedroom available. I'm still hoping that I'll love the place at Chocolate Works I'm going to see on Thursday. It looks and sounds amazing online so I'm hoping it's just as great in person."

* * *

Day two was another bust for Rory. While she liked things about all the apartments she had seen, none of them were right. While she liked some of the features at Wistar Alley, she really did want a two bedroom so she could have the extra space. The one bedroom she looked at, at The Franklin had a bigger kitchen, but the closet in the bedroom was too small in her opinion. She also didn't like that there weren't separate living and dining rooms. The two bedroom was really nice though. She liked that it also had two bathrooms which would be nice for when her Mom and Luke visited and there was more closet space in the bedrooms. She liked it, but was still hopeful that Chocolate Works would be the place for her.

* * *

"It smells amazing in here," Rory said as she walked into the kitchen of Jess' apartment Wednesday morning, "I can't believe you're cooking me breakfast."

"You got to keep a Gilmore fed," he said putting pancakes on a plate for her along with some scrambled eggs and bacon, "Will you grab mugs out of that last cabinet for the coffee?"

"Sure. Thank you," she told him handing him a cup of coffee and kissing his cheek before taking her seat at the table.

"Anytime."

They ate their breakfast mostly in silence, just happy to be in each other's company and getting along. They weren't going to look at any apartments so Jess was going to be spending the day at Truncheon while Rory paid a visit to _The Inquirer_ to take care of the hiring paperwork she needed to fill out as well as answer a few e-mails from Hugo about the inauguration.

"Jess?" Rory asked as they were finishing up their breakfast.

"Yeah?"

"I have a bit of a favor to ask."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Well, I'm going to the actual inauguration and the We Are One celebration the Sunday before as a reporter, but I'm also going to two balls and those I'm attending purely as a guest. I mean, I can report on them if I want, but that's not why I was given tickets. Two of them, actually for everything and I was wondering if you would maybe like to go with me?"

"To the Presidential Inauguration?"

"Yeah."

"And to the balls and parties and stuff with all the dignitaries and celebrities?"

"Yes."

"I'd love to."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I'd be crazy to pass up the opportunity to attend such an historical event. And I hear some pretty impressive performers are going to be there. Plus, it wouldn't be so bad to spend a few nights in your company."

"Great, I'll let Hugo know you're going with me. Um, he already has a hotel booked for me for the week. It's just one room, but it does have two beds so hopefully it won't be too weird."

"That's fine. I'm cool with it if you are."

"We're adults, right? We can platonically share a hotel room?"

"Right."

* * *

Thursday morning after stopping at a local cafe for coffee Rory and Jess headed to The Chocolate Works to check out what Rory hoped would be her new home.

"So aesthetically speaking I like it. The building is incredible and the view from up here is amazing," Jess said.

"Yeah, I know. It's what originally drew me to it. Well, that and the name. I mean it's called Chocolate Works. Chocolate, Jess, chocolate!" Rory said.

"And besides the name, what else do you like about it?" he asked with a laugh.

"Everything! I love everything about this apartment. The building, the view, the ceilings, all the appliances, it has two rooms with huge closets in both of them. It's perfect," Rory said grabbing onto Jess, giving him a hug.

"Well, I'm glad you like it Ror, but you think you could let go. You're practically choking me, here," Jess said.

"Oh, sorry. I guess I got a little excited."

"A little?"

"Okay, I'm a lot excited, but seriously though. This place is amazing. I'm going to go call Grandpa."

"I'll just look around a bit more," Jess told her.

"Okay, I'll be back," Rory said but grabbed him again before leaving and squealed, "Oh, I just can't believe it Jess. I've found my new home."

* * *

Once Rory told Richard all the wonderful things she liked about the apartment and insured him it was a safe building in a safe area. And that Jess would only be a couple blocks away. He liked Jess and with Rory living alone in a new city he was glad she would have someone close in case she needed anything. With Richard's influence she was able to get approved for the apartment immediately. Signing the lease the following Monday all she had do was work on getting her things moved to Philadelphia before starting work in January.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: "Your pajamas? Why did you meet Christiane Amanpour in your pajamas?"

* * *

Over the next few weeks following her trip to Philly to find her apartment Rory worked on packing up her things and shopping for furniture for her new place. Since her grandparents were helping out with the apartment by letting her access her trust fund, her father, Christopher wanted to buy all the furniture she would need. It was still weird for her to have her father wanting to help out, especially financially, but she was glad for it. She was leaving all the furniture in her room in Stars Hollow for whenever she visited or April came to town.

* * *

Before Rory knew it, Christmas had come and gone, it was now January and the inauguration was fast approaching.

"Okay, so we've got the living room and the bedroom covered. And even a few things Luke insisted you need for the kitchen," Lorelai said.

"You never know. Maybe I'll learn how to cook," Rory told her, "Or maybe Luke just wants to be sure there will be pans to cook in when you guys come to visit."

"Probably. Now, you said you want to get a futon for the second room?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah. I've got a desk picked out that I plan to put in there and Luke is making me bookshelves, but I'd like to have the futon so I have somewhere to sit if I'm just in there to read or if sitting at my desk becomes tiresome," Rory explained.

"Not to mention you need a place for your lovely mother to sleep when she decides to drop in," Lorelai said.

"Yes, that too," Rory said.

"So, what was it like staying with Jess? Was it weird?"

"Not really. It seemed at first like it would be, that's why I was hesitant to stay with him to begin with, but it really wasn't. It felt almost normal."

"Normal?"

"Yeah. It just felt, right."

"Right? So are you guys going to be a thing again now?"

"I have no idea."

"Do you want to be?"

"Again, I have no idea."

"Well you better get some idea. The two of you are going to be living in the same city very soon so I'm sure you'll be spending a lot of time together; not to mention the hotel room you'll be sharing at the inauguration next week," Lorelai said, "Which reminds me, why did you ask Jess to go with you anyway?"

"I don't know. Maybe as a thank you for letting me stay and helping me look at apartments," Rory said.

"Or?" Lorelai questioned.

"Or, maybe I'm intrigued by the idea of spending time with Jess and seeing him all dressed up," Rory said.

"Now, that I believe. Much better answer," Lorelai told her.

"Would you be okay with it, me and Jess, that is?" Rory asked.

"Well, I'm not un-okay with it. As much I didn't like Jess when you guys were younger, he's grown on me. Jess has grown up a lot and made a really good life for himself now. You're both older, wiser, successful. It could work," Lorelai said.

"You think so?" Rory questioned.

"I really do, kid and if being with Jess is what you want then I say go for it," Lorelai said.

"Thanks, Mom. I'll think about it. If I do decide to get involved with Jess again I want to be sure it's what I absolutely want," Rory said.

* * *

The Friday before the inauguration, Rory and Jess checked into their hotel room at the Hilton. They would be staying there until the twenty-second and it was also where the Youth Ball was being held on the night of the inauguration on the twentieth. After checking in, they decided to visit a diner for dinner seeing as they would be most likely be having nothing but fancy food at the balls in a few days.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Jess asked walking into their room Saturday morning after bringing up coffee and doughnuts for him and Rory from the cafe downstairs.

"I thought we'd explore a little. You've never been here and last time I spent a significant length of time here was with Paris just before senior year and hanging out with Paris isn't exactly a load of fun," Rory said.

"I can't imagine it is. I only met Paris a couple times and it was more than enough," Jess said, "So, where did you want to go?"

"Well, I was thinking we could check out The Newseum. Paris and I didn't go when we were here before and it's full of so much journalistic history, you know," Rory said.

"I agree. It would be cool to see a piece of the Berlin Wall and they have that gallery of books, too," Jess said.

"Speaking of books. We of course have to check out the Library of Congress as well," Rory said.

"Definitely, and maybe Monday or Wednesday we can check out Madame Tussauds?" Jess asked.

"You want to go to Madame Tussauds?" Rory questioned.

"Yeah, it could be fun. I can get a picture with Angelina Jolie. It will drive Matt and Chris crazy," he said explained.

"If you're getting a picture with Angelina Jolie than I am definitely getting one with Brad Pitt and maybe Johnny Depp, too," Rory said.

"Sounds like a plan," Jess said, "Let's go. The Newseum awaits."

* * *

"You looked good on camera," Jess said as they stopped for lunch before heading to the Library of Congress.

"I still can't believe I let you talk me into doing that," Rory said.

"Hey, Christiane Amanpour had to start somewhere before she found her way to CNN. Who's to say that making a recording in the interactive newsroom can't be yours?" Jess questioned.

"I met her once. Have I told you that?" Rory asked.

"No, I do believe you left out that bit of news. When did that happen?" he asked.

"Right after graduation. She spent a night at the inn. I met her the next morning, in my pajamas no less."

"Your pajamas? Why did you meet Christiane Amanpour in your pajamas?"

"My mom dragged me out of bed to meet her and she has a bit of a tendency to see celebrities that aren't actually there so I didn't believe her. It worked out though. She was really nice and even gave me her business card."

"Which I'm sure you had framed."

"Framed, no. But I did laminate it so it wouldn't bend or tear in my wallet."

* * *

Sunday after breakfast they headed out to the Lincoln Memorial for the We Are One celebration. Both Rory and Jess were looking forward to seeing the many wonderful actors and performers that were going to be there. Before the celebration began they took a walk along the Reflecting Pool and checked out the war memorials for Vietnam, Korea, and World War II that surrounded the area.

"So, Tom Hanks is going to be here, right?" Jess questioned as they walked along the Vietnam Memorial.

"Yeah, why?" Rory asked.

"Just wondering if we should be prepared for some running in the Reflecting Pool," he said, "You got a camera handy just in case?"

"No one's going to be running through the Reflecting Pool, Jess," Rory said, "But some of the locals do refer to it as Jenny Pool."

"Really?"

"Yep. So, do you know the myths about the Lincoln Memorial?"

"I haven't heard any of them, no. Are there a lot?"

"A few. If you look at Lincoln's hands, they look like they resemble an A and an L in sign language, but it's supposedly just a coincidence. And people swear the back of his head looks like Robert E. Lee because Lincoln always had him in the back of his mind. My favorite though is that the word future is misspelled in his second inaugural address."

"No way? That can't be true."

"Technically it was most likely just an accident, but it was sculpted with an E in the beginning instead of an F. They've repaired it to look like an F, but you can still tell it used to be an E."

* * *

They spent the rest of the afternoon and evening enjoying the speeches and performances. While Jess was enjoying listening to U2, Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, and Queen Latifah; Rory was walking amongst the crowd as she listened to the performances and speeches to get quotes and thoughts from the others attending. When they got back to the hotel she quickly wrote up her article of the event and sent it Hugo so he could get it published to his site.

Monday they spent most of the day visiting Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum taking pictures with every celebrity and president there. They returned to the hotel early that night so Rory could be sure to have everything she would need for the inauguration and the balls the next day.

* * *

Jess woke up early Tuesday morning wanting to have breakfast waiting for Rory when she woke up. He knew she would be too nervous to eat so he just brought her several cups of coffee.

"You're amazing, you know that," Rory said when she woke up to see the three cups of coffee sitting on the nightstand next her her bed.

"I'm not amazing. I just know you really well. Today's a big day for you. You're covering a piece of American history. I knew you'd be too nervous to eat anything and while it would have the opposite effect on any normal person, I also knew that copious amounts of coffee would help calm those nerves," Jess told her.

"Well, thank you. I appreciate it," Rory said.

"Anytime."

As nervous as Rory was when she first woke up, the nerves quickly floated away the moment the speeches started. As the words flowed from each speaker and then President Obama himself as he recited the Oath of Office and his Inaugural Address, they were just as quickly flowing out of Rory's pen onto the notebook she had in her hand.

Jess couldn't help but smile as he watched her instead of the speakers on the stage before him. The sparkle in her eyes as she wrote down quotes from each speaker along with her own notes of the event, the way she bit her lip when a new idea came to mind. Spending all this time together in such close proximity he knew his old feelings would come back, if they ever left at all.

* * *

After the Inauguration, Rory and Jess attended the Inaugural Luncheon inside the Capitol Building. She ran into Senator Barbara Boxer, whom she and Paris met when they came to Washington in high school and was able to get a quote from her to include in her article.

"You do know that you're the amazing one, right?" Jess questioned her as they took their seats at the luncheon.

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"The way you handle all this. So poised and confident. I could barely contain my excitement at seeing all those performers on Sunday. I mean we saw U2 for God's sake and you stood there just making notes in your book," Jess said, "and then right now you talked to Senator Boxer like you were old friends. I could never do that."

"Thank you," she told him, "You know you could if you had to and actually you probably should. There's no harm in introducing yourself to people. You never know, some of these politicians may have read your books."

"I highly doubt that."

"Why not? You're an amazing writer Jess. Your books are incredible. It's not impossible that a politician or an actor or anyone famous would have read them."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, but it's still hard for me to believe that anybody besides you has not only actually read them, but liked them."

"Trust me, I bet that by the time we leave on Thursday I will have found a celebrity or politician who has read at least one of your books."

"Bet huh, and what exactly would a bet like this entail."

"Dinner when we head back to Philly on Saturday. Winner's choice, loser pays."

"Game on, Gilmore!"

They spent the rest of the luncheon introducing themselves to their table companions and the people at tables near by. A few had heard of Rory as they were either Yale alumni or were also from the east coast and knew of both they Hayden and Gilmore families. Much to Rory's chagrin they so far hadn't found anyone who knew who Jess was before he told them he was an author. And Jess said it didn't count that several people had now promised to look up his books and read them now that they have met him.

* * *

After the luncheon they went back to the hotel to get ready for the Youth and Eastern Balls. With the Youth Ball being held in the hotel they were staying in they were going to spend some time there first before heading to Union Station for the Eastern Ball for citizens of the Eastern states.

"Rory!" she heard someone yell her name as soon as they walked into the ballroom and Jess left to get them some drinks.

"Nate!" she exclaimed hugging her old friend from the campaign trail, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I thought you were only going to hit up the Western Ball?"

"I'm heading there next. I'm splitting my time between both," he explained, "You're doing the same, right? Aren't you going to the Eastern Ball, too."

"I am. Oh, Nate, I'd like to introduce to someone," she said as Jess walked back up to them carrying a glass of champagne for her and a beer for himself, "Nate, this is…"

"Jess Mariano! Oh my God! How did you… When did you… You two know each other?" Nate questioned.

"Yes! Jess and I go way back. Did I not mention that before?" she asked.

"No, Rory, I'd remember if you told me you knew one of my favorite authors," he said, "Nathan Brookes. It's an honor to meet you."

"Jess Mariano," he said shaking his hand, "But, you already knew that."

"I told you we'd find someone who knew who you were, Jess."

"He doesn't count, Ror. He's neither a politician nor a celebrity."

"Fine. I'll just find someone else who's read your books," she said before walking away from the two men.

"What was that about?" Nate asked.

"She bet me that before we leave on Thursday she could find someone famous who knows who I am," Jess told him.

"What was the bet?"

"Just dinner when we get back to Philly."

"Oh, so you and Rory?"

"No, we're just friends. I've been living there for a few years now and Rory just got a job at _The Philadelphia Inquirer_ so she's living there now, too," Jess explained, "But we did date though, back in high school."

"In high school, but that means," Nate began, "She's Lexi?"

"Yep. Rory's the one that got away," Jess said, "Did you two ever...?"

"Yes and no," Nate said, "We were both hurting when we met and sort of became each others confidant. We knew what the other was going through and had so much in common that we got real close, real fast."

"You became each others rebounds," Jess stated.

"Yeah, we knew it could never go anywhere because we were basically only with each other for the comfort so we ended it only a few weeks after it started and just stayed friends," he said, "Rory never mentioned any of this?"

"No, she told me about your similar relationship history. Sorry about that, by the way and that the two of you were friends, but not that anything happened between the two of you," Jess said, "But honestly, knowing Rory the way I do, I'm not surprised. She'd want to avoid any confrontation and no offense, but she probably just wants to forget it even happened so she didn't tell me."

"You're probably right," Nate said, "Man, I wish I brought your books with me."

"Why? Am I boring you?"

"No, so I could have you sign them."

"Write down your address for me and I'll send you signed copies."

"Really? That'd be great."

* * *

While Jess and Nathan were talking, Rory took to wandering around the ballroom listening to the conversations happening around her for anything of interest that may be worth including in an article. She had already submitted to Hugo her piece about the inauguration and with that done she was now free to work on things for _The Inquirer_ it she chose to before her first official day on Monday.

Rory was so preoccupied with listening to a group of young twenty somethings wonder when and if the president would show that she walked right into the back of someone. As she began to apologize for her clumsiness she became flustered as she realized just who it was she had ran into.

"Sorry. I guess I should have been paying more attention to where I was standing," the young man said, "Are you alright?"

"Um, I uh, yeah I think so," Rory said,"I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

"Well if that isn't a blow to my ego," he told her with a laugh.

"Sorry. I'm well aware of who you are. I just wasn't watching where I was going."

"Well good. Now that we've established you know who I am, can I get your name?"

"Right, sorry," she said sticking out a hand for him to shake, "Rory Gilmore."

"Pleasure to meet you, Rory Gilmore. I'm…"

"Oh my God, you're Pete Wentz," Nate said as he and Jess approached him and Rory.

"Yes I am," Pete said, "Friends of yours?"

"Yeah. Pete this is Nathan Brookes and…" she began.

"Jess Mariano. I thought that was you I saw with Rory earlier. I recognize you from your books. Ashlee is a big fan," Pete said, " Forgive me Rory, I kind of let you walk into me on purpose so I could find out if I was right."

"No need to apologize," Rory said, "So Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy and his wife Ashlee Simpson have heard of Jess Mariano."

"Yeah, yeah, you made your point. Start thinking up where you'd like to go for dinner," Jess said.

"Okay, clearly I'm missing something here," Pete said.

"She bet him that she could find someone famous who knew who he was," Nate explained.

"Really? You didn't think anyone outside of random strangers would read your books?" Pete asked.

"Honestly, I find it hard to believe anyone besides Rory would actually pay any mind to anything I've written," Jess said.

"That's crazy. I've read both of your books and so has Ashlee and a lot of our friends. Your writing is good, Jess. Never doubt that," Pete told him.

"Well, thank you. That means a lot," Jess said.

"You're welcome."

The four continued to talk for a few more minutes before Pete had to excuse himself for the band's performance. Jess and Pete even exchanged information so Jess could send him and Ashlee autographed copies of his books. Before walking away, though Pete stopped Jess to ask a question that had been on his mind since he first saw him with Rory.

"So, Jess, Rory, is she...?"

"Lexi? Yeah, how did you know?"

"The way you look at each other. It's pretty obvious that there's still something there. You're not going to let her go this time are you?"

"If she gives me another chance, I'm holding on for as long as she'll have me."

* * *

 **AN:** Yeah another chapter done. This one was fun, too since I've actually been to D.C. and knew a bit about the places I was writing about. I'm not positive on the whole "Jenny Pool" thing. That's just something our tour guide told us. And I know the whole thing with Pete Wentz is a little out there, but I wanted Rory to win the bet so there had to be someone famous who had read his books. And if Peyton Sawyer can date him, why can't Rory and Jess befriend him?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: "There's not a man in here and probably a few women too that haven't checked you out tonight."

* * *

After the Obama's paid a visit to the Youth Ball, Jess, Rory, and Nate left to go to their respective home state balls.

"I believe I owe you one very long overdue dance Miss Gilmore. What do you say?" Jess asked, holding out his hand for her to take as the first notes of "Then She Appeared" by XTC began to play.

"I'd be honored," she told him accepting his outstretched hand. As he pulled her close to him she giggled.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"I can't believe you didn't have to buy this suit. Who knew Jess Mariano would have a suit already hanging in his closet."

"Yeah, I know. My bad boy image is ruined, but I got to have something to impress potential authors and other publishing houses."

"True and it looks good on you. We'll have to find excuses for you to dress up more often."

"We?"

"Yeah, it's not like I know anyone else in Philly to hang out with."

"Right," he said a little disappointed she didn't mean more, "You clean up pretty nice yourself, you know?"

"Thank you. It took forever for me to find the right dress," she told him.

"You did good, Gilmore. You look incredible," he said as he continued to look over the sleeveless, navy blue, floor length ball gown that hugged her body in all the right places to accentuate her curves, "There's not a man in here and probably a few women too that haven't checked you out tonight."

"You including yourself in that list, Mariano?" she asked with a laugh.

"Absolutely," he told her before placing a kiss on her cheek.

* * *

They spent quite a bit of time at the Eastern Ball dancing and mingling with others there from Connecticut before heading back to the hotel for the night. They spent their last day in the city exploring the Smithsonian as well as more of the monuments and memorials. Rory also wrote a farewell piece to her readers and submitted it to Hugo. She was both happy and surprised to see that he added a note to the end informing readers they could soon look for her name in _The Philadelphia Inquirer_.

On the way back to Stars Hollow Thursday morning, where they would be staying until Saturday morning so Rory and Lorelai could have a couple more days together they made a stop in Philadelphia to drop off the things they wouldn't need and to have lunch. Knowing they were in for a fancy meal with Rory's decision to go to Osteria for dinner when they got back Saturday and Friday Night Dinner at the Gilmore's, they decided on Spencer's so Rory could try their burgers.

"So you and Nate seemed to get along," Rory said as they were waiting for their burgers. Rory ordered the Dr. I's burger that they topped with guacamole, pepper jack, tomatoes, sour cream, and a fried jalapeno. Though she skipped the tomatoes claiming the only reason she was leaving the jalapeno was because it was fried and that's the only way a Gilmore will eat a vegetable. Jess went with the Rob's Island Home Burger topped with Canadian bacon, pineapple, a fried plantain, salsa and several vegetables that Rory wasn't paying attention to when he explained the burger to her.

"Yeah, he's a cool guy. We had a nice talk. I can see why you like him."

"Oh, you two talked. Did he um tell you about us?"

"Yeah he did."

"Oh, so yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just…"

"Hey, it's fine. I get it. I don't particularly like that you had a relationship that was based almost solely on sex, but I understand it. You were both upset and it was a comfort. And after three years with the same guy I can see how you'd maybe want to see what else is out there."

"Yeah, I was hesitant to start anything with Nate at first so we did wait until we'd gotten to know each other a bit. We realized after awhile our relationship wasn't good for either of us the way it was and decided to just be friends. It was definitely different being with someone else."

"I can imagine, especially with Nate only being the second guy you'd been with. I mean it had to be weird to..."

"Jess," Rory said hesitantly cutting him off, "Um, Nate wasn't second."

"No?" he questioned.

"No, he was third, actually. Logan wasn't my first."

"Okay, I know you started seeing him during your sophomore year and don't think you would have dated anyone right after I left," he said, "And I know you didn't cheat on me so you were dating someone freshman year when I...Wait you were with Dean that night I came to your dorm, but he got married. You weren't dating Dean."

"No, at least not then," she told him, "I did date him again though. After that night and before I got with Logan."

"He was married."

"I know."

"And you two?"

"He was first."

"But, he was…"

"I know, Jess, I know he was married. He was married and still I…"

"Why?"

"I don't know. Comfort, I guess. I had one date my whole first year at Yale. Somewhere along the way Dean and I became friends. I called him that night after this set up my Grandmother arranged didn't go well. I went out with this guy and his friends who were all drunk and wanting to go out to more bars. I didn't want to go with them and needed a way home. All my roommates had already gone home and my mom was at the wedding with Luke so I called Dean."

"And that's why he was at your dorm when I showed up? You weren't seeing him."

"No, I just called him for a ride, but I guess without realizing it we got close again and flirted a few times because next thing I knew the Dragonfly was opening and we were in the hall talking and almost kissed then later that night he came by the house when I was there looking for CDs and well…"

"Do you regret it?"

"Yes and no. I wish he wasn't married when it happened because it hurt Lindsey. She didn't deserve that. I really did care about Dean and I know he cared about me, too so I don't regret doing it just more the situation."

"Say something, please," she urged him. He had been quiet for a few minutes and she really wanted to know what he was thinking or if he was going to start yelling at her.

"I just find it hard to believe that Rory Gilmore was the other woman."

"Jess!"

"Sorry. Wow! You and Dean."

"Yeah. When Lindsey found out she threw him out and tossed all his stuff out the window. We tried dating again for a little while, but it just wasn't right. I was already sort of friends with Logan and when Dean saw me with him and his friends at this party my grandparents threw he broke up with me."

"The guy does like his public break-ups."

"Yeah. I stayed single for awhile and then a few months later started dating Logan."

"Have you seen Dean since you broke up?"

"No, he ended up moving back to Chicago. Miss Patty heard he got back with his old girlfriend Beth that he was with before he first moved to Stars Hollow."

* * *

"Jess," Rory said once they were back on the road to Stars Hollow.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Do you hate me?" she wondered.

"For sleeping with Dean?" he asked and she nodded, "No, I don't hate you. I don't like it, but I don't hate you."

"Good. I'm glad."

"I could never hate you, Rory."

"No."

"No."

"I'm sorry it wasn't you," she told him as she looked out the window, "I wanted it to be."

"I know. Me too," he said reaching out to take hold of her hand, giving it a squeeze.

* * *

"Mom!" Rory yelled as she ran into the diner that afternoon when they arrived in Stars Hollow, "Oh my gosh. You'll never believe it, but guess what Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy's favorite book is?"

" _Twilight_?" Lorelai guessed.

"Be serious, Mother," Rory said, "It's _The Subsect_. Pete Wentz has not only read, but loves Jess' books. Ashlee has read them, too."

"Seriously? That's so cool. Congrats Jess, you've got celebrity fans," Lorelai told him.

"Yeah, yeah don't remind me," he said, "Do you really have to tell everyone, Ror? You already spent half the ride from Philly gushing to Lane about it."

"Yes I have to tell everyone. I'm so proud of you, Jess. You deserve the recognition," she told him, "Plus, then once I get done telling people about your celebrity fans I get to them about the bet I won."

"So the real reason behind your praise is revealed."

"You know it."

* * *

Lorelai and Rory spent the rest of the evening watching movies while Rory told Lorelai all about their trip and telling Jess about Dean. She also told her there seemed to be a few moments where she felt like there could be something more between them, but was afraid to push in case he didn't feel the same way.

While Luke had to stay at the diner, Jess was able to join Rory and Lorelai at the Gilmore's Friday Night Dinner where Rory insisted on telling her grandparents about Jess' celebrity fans. Even though neither of them had ever heard of Ashlee Simpson or Fall Out Boy they still found it interesting. All too quickly for everyone the night was over and Saturday had arrived.

"I'm gonna miss you, kid," Lorelai said as they loaded up Jess' car with the last few things Rory still had to take with her along with a bunch of food from both Luke and Sookie.

"I'll miss you, too, Mom. I'll call all the time," Rory told her.

"You better. And visit soon."

"I will. I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Sweets. You take care of my girl, Jess. Get her there in one piece."

"I will, Lorelai. Don't worry. See you later Uncle Luke."

"Don't be a stranger Jess."

"Bye, Luke. I'll miss you," Rory told him, "Take care of my Mom for me?"

"Absolutely. Bye, Rory."

* * *

After arriving back in Philly, Jess helped Rory bring in the last of her things before heading home to get ready for their dinner that night. He knew this dinner was just the result of a bet, but he really hoped that by the end it could lead to something more.

While putting things away and doing some organizing as she began to prepare for her dinner with Jess, Rory was having similar thoughts to the man a couple blocks away. She'd begun to realize she still had feelings for Jess and wanted more than anything for the chance to see if they could make it work this time.

* * *

 **AN:** What a wonder days off are. I'm currently visiting family out of town for the next few days and actually wrote most of this chapter during the three hour car ride it took to get here. Happy New Year! Next chapter, the dinner and Rory begins her new job.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: "But what I'm most sure of is that I really, really would like to kiss you right now."

* * *

Jess was extremely nervous as he approached Rory's apartment. They were going out because of the bet, but it still felt like a date and having not been on a date with Rory in over five years, he didn't want to say or do anything to scare her off. He hoped this dinner tonight would be the first of many.

"Wow!" Jess said as Rory opened the door for him in a sparkly purple top and knee length, flowy black skirt, "You're beautiful."

"Thank you," Rory said, blushing slightly at his comment, "You're looking pretty dapper yourself."

"Thanks. Shall we?" he asked, offering her a hand.

Taking his hand in hers and entwining their fingers they walked out to the car and began the mile and half drive to Osteria.

Arriving at the restaurant they decided to share the salumi platter and rib-eye for two.

"One steak?" Rory questioned.

"It's big enough for two, Ror. Trust me, not even you or your mother could eat this steak by yourself," Jess said.

"Fine, but if I'm still hungry after dinner you mister are buying me a very large piece of cake. Deal?"

"Sure."

Throughout the evening they talked a bit about the book Jess is working on and the places Jess wants to take Rory to eventually now that she is living in Philly, but mostly they talked about Rory's job at _The Inquirer._ She told Jess she was both nervous and excited for Monday.

"It's been awhile since I worked in a newsroom. I actually got used to writing my articles on a laptop in my hotel room or on the bus. It's going to be weird having a desk again."

"How about I buy you a bus pass. If you're stuck on an article you can just ride around the city all day until it's finished."

"They may not be a bad idea. This steak is incredible. And by the way, if you haven't noticed. I may not have eaten it all myself, but I did eat more of it than you."

"We can't all be bottomless pits. I take it you're still hungry and want that cake now?"

"Why don't we get a piece to share and take it back to my apartment I'll even let you make me a pot of coffee."

"You'll let me make you coffee. Why can't you make it? It's your apartment. "

"Because it tastes better when you make it. You make it almost as good as Luke."

"True."

After paying the bill, Jess once again took hold of Rory's hand as he led her out to the car. When they got back to Rory's apartment she excused herself to change into her Yale sweats while Jess made them a pot of coffee and picked out a movie for them to watch while they ate dessert.

"Jess if you put on Almost Famous I swear I'll kill you," Rory told him as she walked into the living room.

"Please, like you even own that movie," he said joining her in the living room with a cup of coffee for each of them, placing them on the coffee table next the chocolate cake from the restaurant.

"Actually I do own it, but I may have accidentally left it in Stars Hollow."

"Accidentally, huh."

"Of course. I would never do a thing like that on purpose."

"Sure you wouldn't," he said as he leaned back on the couch, placing an arm across the back of the couch, giving Rory the opportunity to lean into him if she wanted.

"So what movie did you pick?" she asked picking up the cake, offering him a bite before taking one herself.

"The Philadelphia Story."

"Hmm. Nice, classic, takes place in my new town. Excellent choice."

"I thought so."

As they watched the movie they continued to take turns having bites of the cake with Jess letting Rory eat most of it. Halfway through the movie Rory found herself leaning into Jess' side, placing her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm that had been across the back of the couch around her. Neither made any move to change positions or acknowledge the closeness. It felt so right and natural, they didn't want to ruin the moment with words.

When the movie was over Jess noticed that Rory had fallen asleep. He didn't think she would be comfortable sleeping on the couch so he picked her up and carried her into her room. He smiled as he did when she curled her body close to him as he carried her in his arms. Whispering goodnight he placed a kiss on her cheek before heading back to clean up in the living room before he went home.

* * *

Rory woke up Sunday morning to the smell of coffee and a note from Jess saying he had set the timer before he left so the coffee would be fresh for her and to call him when she woke up. Deciding she would rather see him, Rory showered and dressed for the day before walking the few blocks to Jess' apartment.

"Jess?" Rory called as she let herself into his apartment. He had given her a key the week she stayed while apartment hunting and told her to keep it. He had a key to her place, too. It only seemed natural in case of an emergency or if they had plans and the other was running late they could wait inside.

"Hey! Oh, doughnuts," he said walking into the kitchen, taking one out of the bag and taking a sip of the coffee she poured for him, "Thanks."

"Well you did make me coffee twice. Thanks for setting that for me. It was a nice smell to wake up to."

"You're welcome."

"And speaking of waking up. Last I remember I was in the living room with you watching the movie. How is it that I woke up in my room?"

"You fell asleep before it was over so I carried you to bed. I figured it would be more comfortable than the couch," he told her with a shrug.

"Well thank you. That was very sweet of you," she told him placing a hand over his on top of the table.

Turning his hand over so hers would clasp with his, he gave it a squeeze, "Rory?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we doing?"

"We're talking. We're having coffee and doughnuts."

"You know what I mean, Ror. What are we doing," he stressed with another squeeze of their clasped hands, "Last night felt sort of like…"

"A date?"

"Yeah. Is that weird?"

"Truth?"

"It'd be nice."

"For awhile I was kind of pretending it was. When we came back to my apartment and were curled up on the couch together it was like..."

"How it was when we were dating."

"Yeah."

"I thought that, too. Do you think maybe we could try again?"

"Do you think we'll work this time?"

"We're not those kids anymore. We're not the people who screwed up and hurt each other. I can't say for sure if we'll work out, but I know I'd like to try."

"I want that too…"

"But?"

"But I am just starting a new job and I don't know how much of my time that will take up and we've just found this good place where we're getting along and being friends like we used to be. I don't want to screw it up."

"You won't. We won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know you, Rory. I know you better than anyone. All you have to do to make this work is be you. We already know each other so we don't have to go through that awkward getting to know you part of the relationship. As long as we're honest with each other we'll be fine."

"You sound so sure."

"I am sure. I'm sure that I want to date you. I'm sure that spending this past week in D.C. with you was the most fun I've had in a long time. I'm sure that being with you hours or days or even for just five minutes feels normal. But what I'm most sure of is that I really, really would like to kiss you right now."

"Well if you're sure," Rory began before getting up out of her seat and placing herself in Jess' lap, "then go ahead."

"I've been wanting to do this since you knocked on my door two months ago," Jess said before lightly brushing across her lips with his.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Rory pulled his head closer to hers deepening their kiss. Wanting to be sure she was comfortable, Jess let her set the pace and was surprised when she wasted no time forcing his mouth open to allow her tongue inside.

When he needed air Jess moved his mouth to her neck and began planting kisses from just below her left ear down to shoulder. This was another part of their relationship he was glad wouldn't be awkward. They already knew this part worked.

"Rory," Jess said as she started her own assault on his neck and placed one of her hands on his stomach, under his shirt, "we should stop before this goes too far."

"Hmm, I really don't want to, but you're right," Rory said pulling away from him, "So, now what?"

"Now, you go back to your apartment and get everything you think you'll need for your first day all ready. Get your outfit picked out, your laptop ready to go, all your notebooks, your weird pens…"

"My pens are not weird, I just like to use very specific one's."

"Anyway, you get all that ready while I go to the store and get us something to make for dinner. Then we will have a nice relaxing evening before you go crazy your first week on the job."

"As much as I want to disagree with your assessment, I know you're right. So I guess I'll see you in a couple hours?"

"Yep, I'll call you when I'm back."

"Sounds good," she said reaching up to give him another kiss, "I'll see you later, Jess."

"Bye, Rory."

* * *

After Rory had everything she would need for her first day ready and Jess had gone to the store she went back to his apartment where they spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching movies, enjoying the pasta carbonara that Jess prepared for them, and enjoying some good, quality make out time. Before they knew it, it was getting it late and Rory had to get home.

Monday morning, Rory was again woken up due to Jess, but this time it was a text wishing her luck on her first day and asking her to call him when she was able to tell him about her day. Once she was ready and had a mug of coffee in hand she got in her car and began the mile drive to _The Philadelphia Inquirer_.

"Gilmore? Stick around. I'd like to talk to you about your first assignment," the editor Michael Days said at the end of her first pitch meeting where she was introduced to everyone.

"Sure, is there something in particular you wanted me to work on?" she asked.

"Yes, there is. We had a photographer at the inauguration last week and he managed to capture this," he told her handing her a photo that featured the President and First Lady, but in the background you could see her and Jess, "That's Jess Mariano with you, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"You know him?"

"I do sir, we're friends. What's this about?"

"I'd like you to interview him. We've had a few reporters read his work and say they'd like to write an article about him, but he keeps refusing. You think you could get him to do it?"

"I can try."

"Good. Work on that. I'd like to have a story on him run in Friday's entertainment section. Is that good for you?"

"Absolutely. No problem."

"Excellent and if something comes up you'd like to write about let me know and we'll see what we can do. I'm glad to have you on the team Rory. I look forward to seeing what you got."

"Thank you sir. I won't let you down," she told him, "Would it be alright if I ran out for a bit. It will give me a chance to make a phone call about that interview."

"Sure, go ahead," he told her.

Grabbing her coat, purse, and cellphone Rory headed out to the cafe down the street dialing her phone as she went.

"First day going well?" Jess asked when she answered.

"Yep. Meet me for coffee. I'll tell you all about my first assignment," Rory said.

"Sure, grab a table and I'll be there in a few," he told her.

"Hey," she said greeting him with a kiss, "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything."

"Not at all. So, they gave you an assignment already?"

"They did and it seems you Mr. Mariano have neglected to tell me some things."

"I have? What haven't I told you?"

"That the paper has asked you multiple times about running an article on you and each time you've declined. How come?"

"I never saw the point. I've done a few interviews that my publicist thought would be good for the book and for Truncheon, but since he never pushed _The Inquirer_ I never saw any reason to do it. What's this got to do with your assignment?"

"Because my first assignment is you."

"Seriously?"

"The paper had a photographer at the inauguration and managed to catch us in the background of a photo and my editor noticed us. He figures that since we're friends I could get you to agree to an interview. What do you say?"

"Won't that be a conflict of interest, having you interview me?"

"Possibly. I'll talk to him about it more when I go back, but for now can I tell him you'll do it?"

"Yes, I'll do it," he told her.

"Great. I'll call you when I'm off and we can start the interview tonight," she told him. Giving him another kiss before heading back to work.

* * *

"I sure hope you have good news for me, Rory," Michael Days said when she walked into his office upon arriving back at the paper.

"Yes and no. He'll do the interview, but I may not be able to be the one to do it," Rory told him.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Well, sir Jess and I aren't exactly just friends. We were when that picture was taken, but that's changed recently and we've known each other for years. We actually dated in high school," she explained.

"I've read his books, Rory. I know your history. I wasn't aware it was your history until I saw the two of you in that photograph. I'd like you to do the interview. You're an incredible writer, Rory. You always get the most you can out of the people you're interviewing. You're the best reporter for the job."

"Thank you, Mr. Days. That means a lot. I'll get working on some interview questions right away and begin a rough outline for my article."

* * *

Rory spent the rest of the day coming up with questions to ask Jess. Most of them she already knew the answers to since they had their talk about _Small Town Charm?_ when he came to Stars Hollow for Thanksgiving. She also wanted to get more background information from him on _The Subsect_ and hopefully get a little insight on the book he is currently working on.

After work on Monday and over the next few days she spent hours asking Jess question after question until she thought she had what she needed to complete her article. Rory was very excited to submit her first piece Thursday afternoon and was even more excited to see it in print. She woke up extra early Friday morning so she could read it before work. Sitting at her kitchen table with a cup of coffee she began to read:

 _My Very Own Artful Dodger_

 _by Rory Gilmore_

 _"There is no friend as loyal as a book." - Ernest Hemingway. While, I'm not a big fan, it seemed fitting to begin this article about of one my favorite authors with a quote from his. While not a big fan of Hemingway, I do love the quote. A love of books is one of many things I share with local author, Jess Mariano. Another is that for a time when we were teenagers we lived in the same small town in Connecticut. While I grew up there, Jess didn't arrive until we were seventeen._

 _Call it fate, luck, kismet, or if you're asking Jess, call it coincidence, but after being born and raised in New York City, Jess Mariano found himself living in the same small Connecticut town I had lived in my entire life. A town he once described as "a half-mile, four-block, freakhole of a medical experiment." The day we met my mother had invited Jess and his uncle over for dinner as a way to welcome him to town. He was there not even five minutes before he was asking me to sneak out. He did notice my book collection before he left though because the next time I saw him he was returning my copy of "Howl and Other Poems" that he " **borrowed** " before he left. That book became the first of many to feature Jess' notes in the margins._

 _The summer of 2003, Jess moved to California. It was there, on the Santa Monica pier that, "the idea for The Subsect first came to mind. I was sitting there with a pen in one hand and a moleskine in the other and the words just started flowing. I filled a dozen notebooks that summer with thoughts, ideas, character development, and finally a solid storyline that eventually became The Subsect."_

 _After a few months on the west coast, he'd had enough of the sun and sand so Jess moved back home to New York. There he spent many days on his favorite bench in Washington Square Park and continued to write, drawing inspiration from his childhood memories and favorite New York sites. Eventually fate (or again coincidence if you ask Jess, "I don't believe in fate, Rory, stuff just happens.") stepped in again when Jess moved to Philadelphia four years ago._

 _"I was sitting in this coffee shop writing when these two guys come in debating the merits of one author over another. Hearing Chris praise Ayn Rand, well that definitely peaked my interest." For those of you who don't know Jess like I do, to say he's not a fan of Ayn Rand, well that would be putting it nicely because as he puts it, "Ayn Rand is a political nut, but that day I can say I was thankful for her. If Chris and Matt hadn't been discussing that crazy woman I wouldn't have joined their conversation and that's not fate, Rory so stop giving me that look. It's still all just a coincidence." A coincidence that led to them asking what he was writing in all the books he had with him. This as we all know led to them agreeing to publish "The Subsect."_

 _It was shortly after "The Subsect" was published that I saw Jess again. We hadn't spoken in years and I actually owe him a thank you. You see, Jess came to me to share his success because he knew I would never believe it if he didn't show me himself, but the person he found wasn't the Rory he knew at seventeen. When he came to me I was lost. I didn't know who I was anymore or what I wanted in life. Jess saw through the mask I was hiding behind and yelled at me and I thank him for that. Thank you, Jess. I wouldn't be where I am without you._

 _Now, over seven years since we first met and three plus years later since Jess first brought me a copy of "The Subsect" we find ourselves once again living in the same city, a mere three blocks from each other. Jess with a second book published, "Small Town Charm?", a third that he refuses to give me any details on in the works and I am finishing up my first week here at The Philadelphia Inquirer._

 _I never imagined when I first met Jess Mariano that he would become anymore than the big city bad boy who stole my book, but over the years and even more over the past few months he has become one of my very best friends and yet he is very much still the same old Artful Dodger I met when I was seventeen._

* * *

 **AN:** Extremely long, but I'm sure I made many people very happy with this chapter. I decided to skip the whole interview part and just write Rory's article. I hope you liked it.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: "Hmm, what are you up to Dodger,"

* * *

In the days following Rory's first article she received a lot of praise from her fellow co workers. She was nervous they would be upset that she had been able to get an interview out of Jess when so many of them had asked and been refused. It definitely helped that they were all big fans of _Small Town Charm?_ They easily made the connection between Rory and Lexi and Jess' fictional self, Will and were now hoping for a happy ending for the real life Lexi and Will.

"So is everything that happened with Will and Lexi what really happened with you and Jess?" Kara, a fellow reporter Rory met her first day and easily became friends with, asked.

"Yeah, tell us?" Lacey, a photographer, asked, "What was it like dating Jess Mariano?"

"Was? I think you mean what IS it like, Lace," Kara said, "No way are they living in the same town again and not together."

"Yes, it's true," Rory said, "Although he did exaggerate the town a bit."

"Okay, good, but are you dating him now?" Kara asked.

"Yes, I am," Rory told them, "We hadn't seen each other in a couple years so when I had my interview here I went to see him and we started talking again. We started dating again last week."

"This is so exciting," Lacey said, "I can't believe we get to watch your love story play out right in front of our eyes."

"Hey, nobody said anything about love, Lace. We just started dating again," Rory said.

"Yeah, but you loved him before, right?" Kara asked.

"I thought I did, but that was a long time ago. We're not those kids anymore. While we may already know each other, it will still take time to fall in love with the people we are now," Rory said.

"I guess that's true," Kara said, "So when do we get to meet him?"

"Come over after work and we can all hang out," Rory said.

"Excellent," Kara said.

* * *

Rory heard from her grandparents after her first article was published, as well. They arranged to have the paper mailed to them so they could keep up with Rory's work. Both were extremely proud to see that Rory got a byline so quickly. Richard continually praised Jess and told her he was glad they were seeing each other. Emily was happy to hear Rory was dating again, but still insisted she could find somebody better.

She sent a copy to her mom and Luke. Luke briefly said he was proud of both of them before handing the phone back to Lorelai who demanded every detail of what Rory and Jess have been up to since she last saw them.

"So things with Jess are good?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah. In a way it feels sort of like it used to. We're both so busy we haven't gone out since we had dinner at Osteria, but we talk everyday and we've spent several evenings watching movies and eating take out and one apartment or the other," Rory told her, "I'm hoping once I've settled in more at the paper and Jess gets further into the book he's writing we'll have more time for each other."

"I hope so, kid, but it's good that you talk all the time and get to see each other as much as possible."

"Yeah, that's one thing that's different. We talk a lot more than we did when were kids. I like it."

"Good, good. So you know Valentine's Day is coming up pretty soon. You guys have any big plans?"

"Not that I know of. Jess hasn't said anything and I honestly didn't realize it was coming up already. I haven't had any reason to or anyone to celebrate Valentine's Day with in years."

"Well, you never know. Jess may surprise you so I'd get him something if I were you."

"Yeah, I just have to figure out what."

* * *

 _Rory: I invited a couple friends over for dinner. They want to meet you._

 _Jess: Making new friends already. How sweet._

 _Rory: Oh shut it. They are fellow co workers I met my first day. They are two of the few that are our age. And they are huge Jess Mariano fans._

 _Jess: Oh joy, groupies._

 _Rory: Jess! You will meet them and you will be nice!_

 _Jess: Yes mom. Should I bring anything?_

 _Rory: Yeah, Matt and Chris._

 _Jess: Why?_

 _Rory: It will even things out. Make it so you're not the only guy._

 _Jess: Rory Gilmore, are you playing matchmaker?_

 _Rory: Unofficially. They're all single and I think they'll get along. Plus, if these girls get love lives of their own, maybe they'll leave mine alone._

 _Jess: Ah, so they don't so much want to meet me as see their beloved fictional couple in real life._

 _Rory: Exactly. So come over with the guys around six and we'll order pizza sense there will be so many of us._

 _Jess: Sounds good. I'll see you later._

 _Rory: Later._

* * *

Rory arrived at her apartment with Kara and Lacey after work to discover Jess was already there.

'Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming until six?" she asked, greeting him with a kiss.

"I decided to come early and set up plates and everything and get your coffee going. The guys are picking up the pizza," Jess said.

"You didn't have to, but thank you," Rory said, "Okay, so Jess, I'd like you to meet Kara and Lacey."

"Hi, I'm Lacey," she introduced herself shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you. I guess that makes you, Kara then," Jess said putting a hand out to the other girl.

"Yep, it's a pleasure. We're both big fans of your work, especially Small Town Charm? I love that it's not a typical love story," Kara said, "I mean the romance is there, but it's not all mushy and sappy. I like that."

"Thanks. I'm not really into all that sappy stuff either," Jess said.

"So, who are these guys that are coming over?" Lacey asked as they headed into the living room where Jess had glasses and drinks set out for all of them.

"Matt and Chris," Jess said, "My best friends and business partners at Truncheon."

"Oh, cool. Cute?" Kara asked.

"Kara!" Lacey said.

"What, it's a valid question," Kara said, "They're obviously being included with us this evening to even things out and so we have someone else to focus on besides Rory and Jess."

"Wow, she's smart. She saw right through your plan, Ror. I like her," Jess said.

"Okay, so yes I did have a bit of an ulterior motive when I asked Jess to invite Matt and Chris over, but you never know. You may like them," Rory said, "and yes they are cute."

"Hey!"

"But you're so much cuter."

"Good. As long as you remember that."

"You know you never told me what Matt and Chris thought of the article," Rory said.

"Well, Chris yelled at me for my comment about Ayn Rand," Jess said.

"Of course. What else?"

"Then Matt cut out a copy and framed it behind the cash register so all our customers would see. He also e-mailed the article to everyone he knows. As did Chris."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. They were pretty excited to see Truncheon and their names in print."

* * *

When Matt and Chris arrived with the pizza the six of them gathered in Rory's living room with wine, beer, and a movie. To Rory's delight Lacey and Kara got along well with Chris and Matt. She wasn't sure if them getting along was going to lead to anything romantic, but she was glad that they were all becoming friends. Rory never told her mom or Jess, but she was nervous moving to a town where she had no one else she knew but Jess. She was used to having her mom and Lane around all the time growing up and Paris when she was in college that she was really glad to have made new friends at the paper so quickly and happy that Jess' friends liked her.

* * *

"So, you and Jess have any big plans this weekend?" Kara asked Rory the following week.

"If you mean do we have any big Valentine's Day plans, then no," Rory said, "Jess isn't really the celebrate Valentine's type."

"But you did get him something though, right? While he may not go all out or anything I'm sure he'll still get you something," she said.

"Yes, I got him something," Rory told her, "What about you? Got any plans?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I do. I'm going out with Matt."

"A first date on Valentine's Day? Is that romantic or cheesy?"

"Well, it's not technically our first date."

"What? You've been going out with Matt and you didn't tell me?"

"I'm sorry. I wanted to see how it went first before I said anything."

"I can understand that. So this will be date number…"

"Three. We're going out to dinner and probably a movie."

"Third date. Very nice. You really like him?"

"Yeah, I do. He's the nicest guy I've gone out with in a long time. Thanks for introducing us Rory."

"Hey, if it gets you to back off my love life…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

* * *

Rory was woken up before she planned Saturday morning when the alarm she didn't set went off. She first smelled the freshly brewed coffee and then she saw the note that was left on her bedside table.

 _Morning, Book Tease  
_

 _Breakfast is on the table and the coffee is fresh and hot._

 _You've got a busy day ahead of you so eat up, get dressed_

 _(dress warm, you'll be spending some time outside) and head over to Truncheon._

 _I'll see you later._

 _Yours, Dodger  
_

"Hmm, what are you up to Dodger," Rory wondered as she got ready for the day and went to the kitchen to enjoy the breakfast Jess prepared for her.

* * *

Arriving at Truncheon at ten, Rory went in to find Lacey there hanging out with Chris, "Hey, Lace. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm just helping out for the day. Matt's got his date with Kara tonight so he's busy and Jess is doing whatever it is he is doing so I thought I'd give Chris a hand," Lacey told her.

"That's nice, so Jess isn't here?" Rory asked.

"No, he isn't," Chris told her, "but he did leave you a couple of things."

"A thermos? There better be coffee in here," Rory said taking a sip after Chris handed it to her, "Mmm, this is Luke's coffee. Jess really went all out. What exactly is he up to?"

"No idea. He just left me with the thermos and this note," he told her handing her an envelope.

 _Rory,_

 _I hope you are enjoying your thermos of Luke's coffee._

 _It took some arm twisting, but I managed to convince Luke to give me a few bags of his special blend._

 _I left one in your apartment for you and hid the others so you don't drink it all at once._

 _Now, head to The Book Trader on 2nd Street. You'll find another note in the book that reminds me most of you._

 _Jess_

"A book that reminds him of me? We've both read hundreds or even possibly thousands of books. How am I supposed to come up with one?" Rory asked aloud to Chris and Lacey.

"Just think about the one's that are most important to the two of you," Lacey told her.

"Yeah, just take a minute. It'll come to you," Chris said.

* * *

Looking around the bookstore, Rory thought about all the books she loaned Jess or he loaned her; all the books they ever talked about and that mattered to them. It took a bit of looking, but after a few minutes she found the book she thought Jess was talking about and opened the cover to find a note from Jess inside.

 _I had a feeling this would be the book you'd go for._

 _While Howl does remind me of you since it's the first book I ever "borrowed" from you, it's not the book that makes me think of you the most._

 _Want a hint? It's the last book you'd ever except._

Tucking the note into her pocket and placing the copy of _Howl_ back on the shelf, Rory went in search of the book she was positive of now was the one Jess wanted her to find. Flipping through T _he Fountainhead_ , Rory found more than just a note from Jess. She found his thoughts and opinions inside the margins of every page.

"He read it," Rory said to herself, "Jess actually did it. He read _The Fountainhead_."

 _Rory,_

 _As you have probably noticed, I did finally make it through that crazy woman's book and to prove to you I did actually read every word of it_

 _I put some notes in the margins for you. Show the book to the girl at the counter and she'll give you your next note._

 _Jess_

"I believe you have a note for me?" Rory questioned as she held up the book to the girl at the counter.

"You must be Rory," she said handing her the note from Jess, "Here you go."

"Thanks," Rory said as she opened up the note which requested that she go to a record store, but this time he gave her a specific album to find.

* * *

Arriving at Repo Records, Rory headed straight to the G's and picked up a copy of the very same Go-Go's album she bought for her mom from the record store she went to with Jess in New York, but forgot on the bus.

 _I heard the copy you got for Lorelai got lost on the way home, but I managed to find another one._

 _It's already paid for. Show it to the guy at the counter and head to the park. You know which one, I'll be there._

Rory showed the album to the guy at the counter and headed out to Philadelphia's very own Washington Square Park to meet up with Jess. Arriving there she found him with a picnic basket in one hand and a thermos of coffee in the other with a blanket on the ground behind him.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Rory," Jess said, placing the basket and thermos on the blanket and holding out a hand for her.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Jess," Rory said, accepting his hand as the two of them sat down on the blanket, "I can't believe you did all this for me, Jess. You even read _The Fountainhead_."

"I'd do anything for you, Rory," Jess said leaning forward to kiss her, placing one hand in her hair and the other on her hip, "Except read that God awful book again so you better be happy I read it the one time."

"Just shut up and kiss me, Jess," Rory said tangling her fingers in his hair as she pulled his mouth back towards hers.

"Rory?" Jess asked pulling away slightly.

"Yeah?"

"I never officially asked this so, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Absolutely!" Rory said before crashing her lips to his once more.

* * *

"I actually got you something else besides _The Fountainhead_ and the scavenger hunt picnic," Jess said as they walked into his apartment that evening after having dinner at Talula's Garden.

"Seriously Jess? Dinner, the picnic, reading and leaving notes in one of my favorite books, that was all more than enough," Rory told him, "But I did get you something, too."

Walking over to his couch Rory pulled out the bag she hid underneath it earlier that day so Jess wouldn't know about it, "Happy Valentine's."

"Thanks Ror," Jess said as he pulled the album out of the bag, "Rory, this is… this…"

"You like it?"

"Like it. Ror, not only is this an amazing album, but it's signed, too. Wherever did you get it?"

"The wonders you can find on eBay."

"I really love it, Ror, but this...this is too much," Jess said.

"What good is a trust fund if I don't use it every now and then. My grandparents were ecstatic to hear that I wanted to tap into it. They keep telling me I should use it more," Rory told him, "I wanted to get you something I knew you would love. I want you to have it Jess."

"As long as you're sure," Jess said giving her a kiss, "Thank you. I can't believe it. This is an incredible Clash album. You know it's the one with "Guns of Brixton" on it, right?"

"Of course, duh. Why do you think I picked _London Calling_ anyway?" she questioned before giving him another kiss.

"Right, now for your present," he said grabbing a box from his coat pocket, "Here you go."

"Oh, Jess, it's beautiful," she said fingering the fourteen karat white gold and diamond necklace with a book charm hanging from it.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Ror," Jess told her, "It's engraved, too."

"Engraved? Jess!" she said when she read the words he had engraved onto the front of the tiny book, "Book Tease, I love it. Thank you!"

"You're welcome," he said as he took the necklace from her hands and placed it around her neck, clasping it in place.

"It's perfect," Rory said as she turned back around to face Jess.

"No, you're perfect," he told her before crashing his lips to hers, "Stay here tonight."

"What?"

"Stay here tonight."

"Oh, Jess, I don't…"

"Hey, nothing like that. We don't have to do anything if you're not ready. I'm just not ready for this night to end. And as sappy as it sounds, I'd kinda like to experience falling asleep next you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay."

* * *

 **AN:** And here we have another chapter. Longer than I planned at first, but I like how it came out. I hope you do too. Happy Reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** Considering that my story is currently set back in 2009 I'm going to be moving things along a bit with the timeline so it doesn't end up ridiculously long by the time we get to the present.

* * *

Chapter 11: "I don't think it anymore. I know it,"

Rory woke up Sunday morning with her head on Jess' shoulder and a hand across his bare chest while he ran his fingers up and down her back. "You know I think that's the best night's sleep I've had in a long time," she said as she started to run her hand across his stomach.

"Me, too," Jess said kissing her forehead, "I could really get used to this."

"What, sharing a bed with girl and not having sex?" Rory asked with a laugh.

"No, waking up with you in my arms. Sex or no sex, I like being with you," Jess told her.

"Good, I like it, too," she told him, "Though I would like to experience waking up with you after sex, too at some point, but not yet."

"Whenever you're ready," he told her as he moved so he was resting on his arms above her, planting kisses up and down her jawline.

After their intense morning make-out session Jess prepared breakfast for the two of them.

"Mmm, Luke's coffee and pancakes just as good. Yum," Rory said as she ate the plate of food Jess set before her.

"Pancakes as good as Luke's, huh? Now that's high praise," Jess said.

"Yeah, well, just don't tell Luke," she said.

"I won't," he told her, "So what do you have going on today?"

"I've got a couple story ideas for the paper so I want to write up some notes for the pitch meeting tomorrow. Then at some point I have to call my mom. She sent me a text last night asking how are evening was so if I don't call her soon with details I wouldn't put it past her to drive down here to find out," she told him.

"Very true. Okay, so I was pretty busy with the scavenger hunt yesterday that I didn't get any writing done so I'm going to see what I can do today. Dinner?" he asked.

"Chinese?"

"Sure, we'll order a bunch and then you'll have some for the rest of the week."

* * *

Throughout the next few weeks Rory found herself extremely busy at the paper writing various articles for different sections. She was paired with Lacey a lot to have photographs to go with her articles. The editor knew she had written a variety of articles for her high school and college papers so he wanted her to write for different areas to see if she was best suited to write articles as they came and what kind of reader response she got or if he should consider giving her a column of her own.

"Hey guys," Rory said walking into Truncheon one afternoon, three weeks after Valentine's Day.

"Hey Rory," Matt said, "How's it going?"

"Good. I got my article done early so I thought I would surprise Jess. Is he here?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's in the back," Chris told her, "Inspiration struck so he's been holed up back there for hours."

"Am I interrupting?" Rory asked as she opened the door to the office Jess was in.

"Yes, but I gladly welcome an interruption from you," Jess told her as she made her way over to him and sat in his lap, "What are you doing here?"

"I got my article turned in already so I'm free for the rest of the day and we both have the weekend off so I was thinking…" she said.

"Yes?" he questioned.

"I was thinking maybe we could go to Stars Hollow this weekend?" she asked.

"Hmm, Stars Hollow," he pondered before kissing the top of her head, "I suppose we could."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. We haven't been there since you moved. I know you're missing your Mom and I wouldn't mind seeing Luke."

"Great," she said jumping up from his lap, "I've already got our things packed in my car and I called Grandpa so he could make sure the cook has enough food for us and the maid sets places for us at the dinner table. If we leave now, we'll be there in time for Friday Night Dinner."

"Already got the car packed, huh? You were so sure I would agree to go?" he questioned.

"Of course," Rory said, "Like you could ever say no to me?"

"True," Jess said giving her a kiss, "Let me gather up my stuff and tell the guys I'm leaving then we can go, okay."

"Can't wait."

* * *

"Richard, why is the table set for six?" Emily questioned coming down the stairs just before Lorelai and Luke arrived for dinner.

"I had the maid set two extra places because we have two extra guests coming tonight," he told her.

"Extra guests? Why don't I know anything about it?" she asked.

"Because they called me and I wanted to keep it a surprise," Richard said.

"Who's coming for dinner, Richard?" she asked, "Rory? Is it Rory? Oh Richard please tell me Rory is joining us."

"Yes, Emily, it's Rory. She called me this afternoon to ask if she and Jess could join us, but requested I keep it a secret so don't say anything to Lorelai when she and Luke arrive," Richard said.

* * *

Richard, Emily, Lorelai and Luke are sitting in the living when the doorbell rings. "Are you expecting company, Emily?" Richard asked trying not to give away that he already knew who was at the door.

"No, I don't believe so," she says, trying to hide the smile threatening to grace her face.

"Surprise!" Rory announced as she and Jess walked into the living room after the maid let them in.

"Oh my God, Rory!" Lorelai yelled jumping up to give her daughter a hug, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming tonight?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Rory told her.

"Well you definitely did. How long are you guys here for?" she asked.

"We've got the whole weekend," Jess told her.

"Yeah, well we definitely have to plan some movies to watch, fill you up on Al's Chinese, oh and tons of Luke's coffee," Lorelai said.

"I definitely agree with you on the coffee. Jess still has one bag hidden from me so I'm going to drink as much as I can while we're here," Rory said.

"Dinner is served Mrs. Gilmore," the maid, Natalie said as she walked into the living room.

"Thank you, Natalie," Emily told her, "Shall we?"

* * *

After a relatively calm dinner, the only real outbursts were from Emily to Lorelai who couldn't contain her excitement at the fact that her daughter was here, the younger four headed to Stars Hollow. They ended up at Luke's where they had pie and coffee before Luke and Jess both declared they were tired and were going to sleep above the diner to allow Rory and Lorelai time at the house to themselves to catch up.

"So, things with Jess are good?" Lorelai asked as they sat down on the couch putting a movie on.

"Yep, real good," Rory said.

"Great. You can spare me the details, but you guys are being careful with everything, right?"

"We're not sleeping together if that's what you're asking."

"You're not? You were all ready for it to happen back in high school. What's stopping you?"

"Honestly, I'm not really sure. I want to and I know Jess wants to, but…"

"You're scared?"

"Yeah. With all my previous relationships sex happened pretty much right away. With Dean it started because of it. With Logan, it was based mostly on sex in the beginning and with Nate, sex was all it was because we were hurting and wanted the companionship."

"But, since what you have with Jess is more than just physical you're scared having sex will change things. That's perfectly understandable, Rory, but I don't think it will."

"You don't?"

"No, I don't. While I don't want to be encouraging my daughter to have sex with her boyfriend I think you should give it a chance."

"Even though we've only been together a couple of months."

"Rory, you may have only been dating this time for a couple of months, but you've known each other for nearly eight years. You've seen each other at your bests and worsts."

"You're right. I want to do this. I've thought about what it would be like since we were seventeen. It's time."

"Okay. Just wait until you're back in Philly okay? I don't even want to think about you having sex under my roof and Luke would kill Jess if you did it in diner apartment."

"Don't worry. We won't. I want to plan this anyway. I want it to be perfect. Okay, new topic. Tell me about the wedding plans. How's that going?"

"My dress is almost done," Lorelai told her.

"Almost done? You're making it yourself?" Rory questioned.

"Yep, I didn't want to use the other one. Too much bad voodoo," she said, "We're skipping tuxes because they are just too formal so Luke has a suit picked out. I've got material for your dress so I'd like to get started on that while you're here."

"Oh, definitely. What else?" Rory wondered.

"Well, it's at the inn and Sookie's handling all the food so we're covered there. The flowers are done and we sent out the invitations last week so basically we're done," Lorelai said.

"Excellent. I'm so happy for you and Luke, Mom. I can't believe it's finally happening."

"Me either, kid. I can't wait."

* * *

In between watching movie after movie that weekend, Lorelai managed to get her dress done as well as a rough start to Rory's. She just had to add a few minor details and a final fitting before the wedding and it would be perfect. They also talked Jess into getting a new suit to match Luke's and Lorelai made him a tie using the same material she used for Rory's dress.

When she wasn't watching movies with Lorelai, Rory spent the rest of the weekend visiting with Lane and hanging out at the bridge with Jess. It was nice just being there together, her head in his lap as he read aloud to her from _Emma_.

"I'm really glad we came here," Rory told him interrupting his thoughts as he paused his reading to write a note into the book.

"The bridge or Stars Hollow?" he asked.

"Both. I missed my Mom and Luke and everyone, but it's also nice just being here with you. After everything we've been through and all the time we've spent apart, I like that we can still just sit here like we did when we were kids. It just feels so…"

"Perfect?"

"Yeah, perfect," she said climbing onto his lap so she was straddling him, pulling his face towards hers.

"Hey Jess?" she said pulling away after a few minutes.

"Yeah?" he questioned.

"I don't think it anymore. I know it," she said.

"You know what, Ror?" he asked.

"How I feel," she told him, "When you called me at graduation I told you I thought I may have loved you. I don't think it, I know it. I love you, Jess."

"I love you, too, Rory. I always have," Jess told her before attaching his lips to hers once again, deepening their kiss immediately.

* * *

They arrived back in Philly late Sunday night and reluctantly separated to their own apartments as they both had to be up early for work the next morning. They spent the next couple weeks very much like before except Rory asked Jess to teach her how to cook some things whenever he decided to make dinner for them instead of ordering out. She told him she just wanted to learn a new skill, but really she was planning for their two month anniversary. After telling Jess she loved him she had made the decision that she wanted to do something special for him on their anniversary so she wanted to be able to cook him a nice meal before inviting him into her bedroom.

"Rory?" Jess called for her coming into her apartment the evening of their anniversary, "Are you cooking?"

"Yep," she said coming out of the kitchen to greet him with a kiss, "Why do you think I asked you to show me how? I wanted to be able to surprise you."

"This is definitely a surprise. Do you need any help?" he asked.

"Nope, I've got it covered. So you just have a seat and glass of wine. Dinner will be done in just a few minutes," she told him.

"This is delicious, Rory," Jess said taking a bite of the penne alla vodka Rory made.

"Thanks, I just doctored up a jarred sauce, but I did make the salad dressing from scratch," she told him.

"It's amazing," he told her.

"I can't believe it's been two months already since our date at Osteria."

"And to think it all happened because of a ridiculous bet."

"It wasn't a ridiculous bet, Jess. It proved to you that you have fans besides me and we made friends with a rockstar."

"True. Happy Anniversary, Rory," he said raising his wine glass to her.

"Happy Anniversary, Jess," she said clinking her glass with his and then leaning across the table to kiss him, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

After dinner they sat down on the couch and exchanged their gifts. Rory got him a Hemingway biography he had mentioned wanting to read, but hadn't yet purchased. Jess gave her a book as well, but it wasn't one that was published, yet.

"Jess, is this?" she questioned.

"A sequel to _The Subsect_. It's what I've been working on the past few months. I finished it last week," he told her, "I'd like you to read it first before I give it to Matt and Chris."

"It doesn't have a title," she said.

"No, I haven't come up with one, yet, but it does have a dedication," he said with a smirk.

"What did you do?" she questioned flipping to the dedication, "To the girl that's owned my heart since I was seventeen; My Lexi, I love you, Rory Gilmore."

"What to do think?" he asked.

"It's perfect. I love it, but wait. These pages are dated," she said.

"Yeah, I date the pages before I print them so I have a clear account of when I wrote everything."

"This page is dated from November. The day I had my interview at the paper."

"I told you I've always loved you. I wrote it after you left that day."

"Oh, Jess," she began slightly tearing up, "You're such a sap, but I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he told her before taking the pages from her hands and pushing her back onto the couch cradling her face in his hands as he kissed her.

"Mmm, Jess, wait," she said pushing him away slightly.

"What? Is something wrong?" he questioned.

"No, I just have one more gift for you. Wait here," she told him heading to her room.

"Wow! Rory, you look, uh, wow!" Jess said as Rory came out of her room in a navy blue, strapless, lace babydoll that barely covered everything.

"You like it?" Rory questioned as she made her way over to his lap, straddling him as she placed kisses along his neck and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Like it, no. I love it. You're beautiful, Ror, but you know I don't need all of this, right?"

"I know, but we've waited six years for this moment. I just want our first time to be special."

"Oh it will be, trust me," he told her.

* * *

 **AN:** Okay, so I originally wrote this chapter with the sex, but since I didn't want to up the rating for this story I decided to follow what I've seen a few others do and create a posting just for the mature stuff so if you want to read it, it's there. Also, Jess' book doesn't have a title because I haven't come up with one so I am open to suggestions.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: "Yeah, two months from tomorrow I'll be Lorelai Gilmore-Danes. I can't wait."

* * *

"Ugh," Rory groaned reaching over to her bedside table to turn off her alarm, "Why does it have to be so early?"

"Mmm, morning Book Tease," Jess said planting a kiss on her still bare shoulder blade, "It's early because we have to get to work because you insisted on celebrating our anniversary on our anniversary instead of waiting until the weekend like a sensible person."

"We had to celebrate last night because I'll be busy this weekend or did you forget that my mother is coming?" she asked.

"No, of course I didn't forget that Lorelai is coming this weekend," Jess told her, "That crazy woman is going to drive two hundred miles just to cock-block me."

"Jess!" she scolded lightly slapping his chest, "She's not coming here to prevent us from having sex."

"No, but it's not like it's going to happen while she's here."

"True. I guess we'll have to make the most of it then until she arrives."

"I guess we will," he said as he sucked and nipped at her collarbone for a minute before pulling away, "but not right now. I'm going to start a pot of coffee. You jump in the shower."

"Are you going to join me?" she asked.

"As soon as I get the coffee started."

* * *

Walking into the break room at work to pour herself a cup of coffee, Rory let out a small giggle when her phone went off and she read the text she got from Jess:

 _Jess - I can't stop thinking about last night or this morning!_

 _Rory - Me either. I can't believe we waited this long. It was fun._

 _Jess - You'll get no disagreements from me. Are you coming over tonight? The shower was fun, but I do have a bigger bathtub than you._

 _Rory - Hmm, bathtub? I'm getting excited just thinking about it._

 _Jess - Good. See you later tonight then, Book Tease. I love you!_

 _Rory - Later. I love you, too!_

"What's got you so smiley and giggly?" Kara asked as her and Lacey joined Rory in the break room.

"Oh, nothing, just a text message," Rory told her.

"Oh, really?" Lacey questioned, "It wouldn't happen to be from Jess would it?"

"Maybe," Rory replied, feeling her cheeks go red as she again thought about what she had done with Jess that morning.

"You're blushing. It was from Jess and I'm guessing it was dirty, too with your face that red," Kara said.

"Your point, Kara?" Rory asked.

"No, point," she told her pausing a bit, "So what was it like?"

"Kara!" Lacey warned.

"What, like you're not dying to know, too," Kara said, "Come on, Rory, tell us. Is Jess as amazing in bed as I imagined."

"Okay, first of all, don't ever imagine my boyfriend in bed or at the very least please refrain from telling me about it. Second of all, my sex life is just that, mine. Well mine and Jess' and I will not discuss it with you two," Rory told them, "You're worse than a couple of high school gossipers."

"Fine, I'm sorry. We won't ask again," Lacey told, "Right, Kara."

"While I still wouldn't mind knowing, I can respect that you want to keep it to yourselves," Kara said.

"Thank you," Rory told them.

"Of course, but will you tell me one thing?" Kara asked and Rory nodded, "Was it good?"

"Amazing," was the only word Rory said before grabbing her coffee and returning to her desk.

* * *

Rory could barely contain her excitement as she rushed home from work Friday afternoon. Her mother would be arriving within the hour and she couldn't wait. Lorelai hadn't been to Philly since Rory was first moving in and she had only been there to help Rory move her things in and unpack a little. With it being so close to Christmas when Rory found her apartment and started moving things in, Lorelai couldn't spare too much time away from the inn.

Rory was setting up the various Chinese takeout containers that just arrived on the coffee table when she heard the buzzer indicating someone else had arrived.

"Offspring! I have arrived. Let me up," Lorelai's voice could be heard through the speaker.

Buzzing her in and then throwing open her door, Rory placed herself in her doorway to await Lorelai's arrival, "Mom!" she yelled and ran to her when Lorelai stepped off the elevator and began walking towards Rory's fifth floor apartment.

"Oh, kid I missed you so much," Lorelai told her dropping her bags to the floor to embrace Rory.

"I missed you, too, Mom," Rory told her before reaching down to grab Lorelai's bags, "Come inside. I've got Chinese waiting."

"As good as Al's?" Lorelai questioned.

"I think we're biased, but it is really good," Rory told her.

"So, I brought your dress with me," Lorelai said as they began to eat, letting the TV play in the background, "I added a few details, some beading and things so I want to see how it is."

"Sounds good, but I'm sure it's beautiful, Mom. Everything you make is," Rory told.

"That's true, I did make you, after all."

"Eww, gross. Not while I'm eating."

"Fine. Where's Jess tonight?"

"Editing. He finished the book he's been working on. It's great by the way. He let me read it for our anniversary, so he and the guys are doing some editing on it before they publish it."

"What's it called? What's it's about?"

"It's a sequel to _The Subsect_ , but is still untitled as a of yet. But Mom, you'll never believe what he did."

"What did he do?"

"He dedicated it to me."

"Well that's not too surprising. I think I'd be upset if he didn't dedicate to you."

"True, but it's not that he dedicated it to me, it's when he wrote the dedication."

"Which was when?"

"Back in November when I came here for my interview. He wrote it after I left. He wrote that he loved me."

"Oh, Ror. I'm happy for you kid."

"Thanks, Mom. I'm happy for me, too."

"So things are really good then?"

"Yeah. Really good," Rory stressed to her mother.

"Okay, wow. So you guys?" Lorelai questioned and Rory nodded, "When?"

"Our anniversary. And he was so sweet mom. It was perfect. It was the most perfect I've ever felt. That first time was better than…" Rory began.

"Better than what Dean? Logan?" Lorelai guessed.

"All of them," Rory told her.

"The first time or every time?" Lorelai asked.

"Every time. That moment between me and Jess was better than any moment I've had with any other guy," Rory told her.

"You really love him, don't you?"

"I do, Mom. More than I ever imagined."

* * *

Saturday morning, Rory took Lorelai to Sabrina's so she could get a taste of their delicious coffee and have her own plate of stuffed French toast as big as her head. She loved it of course and after breakfast Rory took Lorelai around and showed her the few places that have become her favorite; most of which were the places Jess sent Rory to during the Valentine's Day scavenger hunt. In the afternoon just before dinner they stopped by Truncheon so Lorelai could see it and meet the guys.

"Hey, Rory. Jess never mentioned you were coming by today," Matt said, "Or that you were bringing your lovely sister with you."

"You have a girlfriend, Matt. Remember, Kara?" Rory warned him, "And besides, this is my mother, Lorelai Gilmore."

"Luke's fiancee?" Matt asked.

"Yep," Rory told him.

"So, I guess I better not hit on her then?"

"That would be wise."

"Okay, so nice to meet you, Lorelai," Matt said reaching out to shake her hand, "I'm Matthew. The brains behind this operation."

"Brains? You? Please!" Chris said coming down the stairs from the apartment above, "You must be Lorelai. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Chris."

"It's nice to meet you both," Lorelai said after shaking each of their hands, "Ror, I'm gonna look around a bit, okay."

"Sure. So, is Jess still here?" Rory asked.

"I'm here," Jess said coming out of the back office she found him in a few weeks prior, greeting her with a kiss, "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," Rory said deepening their kiss.

"Wow, would you like us to leave the room?" Lorelai asked.

"Sorry Mom."

"Yeah, sorry Lorelai. We got a little carried away. So, what brings you guys here?"

"I wanted to show the store to Mom and introduce her to the guys."

"And we wanted to see if you wanted to join us for dinner?"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Sure. Did you want to go out or we can go to my place and I'll make something."

"Mom?"

"I wouldn't mind seeing Jess' apartment."

"Dinner in it is then. You guy's good for me to leave?"

"Yeah, go ahead. We were thinking of closing up early anyway. I'm having dinner with Kara's parents and Chris is going out with Lacey."

"Oooh meeting the parents already. Must be pretty serious," Rory teased.

"Not really. I do like her a lot, but they're just really close and even though we've only been going out just over a month they've been begging Kara for two weeks to bring me over so I figured I may as well just do it," Matt said.

"Understandable," Rory said, "So Chris, going out with Lacey? When did that happen?"

"We've hung out a bit since we met, but it was never anything serious. She came over after work the other night to watch a movie and it just felt so much like a date that when she went to leave I kissed her," Chris said, "So we decided to give it a try. Tonight's our first date."

"Aww. I'm so happy for you guys," Rory told them, "Have fun tonight."

"Thanks Rory. See you guys later," Chris said.

"Yeah. Later Rory. Bye Jess. Pleasure meeting you Lorelai," Matt said.

* * *

Jess decided to make them burgers and fries that night for dinner and afterwards the three of them sat in Jess' living room to watch a movie before Lorelai excused herself back to Rory's apartment to allow Rory and Jess some time alone. Sunday Lorelai had Rory trying on her dress when Jess came into the apartment.

"Wow! You look incredible, Rory," Jess told her.

"Thank you. Mom does good work doesn't she?" Rory asked.

"Oh, absolutely," Jess said, keeping his eyes focused on Rory's instead of the dress, "The dress is pretty great, too."

"Aww, I can't wait to tell everyone is Stars Hollow how much of a sap you are," Lorelai told him.

"You can tell them, but they'd never believe it," Jess said.

"That's probably true. Sad," Lorelai said, "Oh well, at least I've seen it and can tease you relentlessly for it, dear nephew."

"If it makes you feel, better, Aunt Lorelai, go for it," Jess told her.

"Guys, can we please refrain from acknowledging that the two of you are going to be related soon?" Rory asked.

"What, you don't want to be reminded that soon you'll be dating your cousin?" Lorelai joked.

"Step-cousin!" Rory reminded her.

"You think that will matter to Taylor when he sees the two of you together again?"

"I don't care what Taylor thinks."

"Yeah, me either. Rory and I had a relationship long before you and Luke did at first and it's not like we grew up together."

"True," Lorelai said, "And don't worry. I'll handle Taylor if he says anything."

"Thank you."

They spent the rest of the day Sunday talking and watching movies. Jess went back to his apartment late in the afternoon to give Rory and Lorelai their last few hours together alone. After ordering a pizza, they sat and continued to talk with Lorelai telling Rory anything she wanted to know about what was currently happening in Stars Hollow while Rory told her about the article ideas she had that she was going to pitch on Monday. Before they knew it, it was getting late and it was time for Lorelai to head back to Stars Hollow.

"I'm going to miss you, Mom," Rory said, "Call when you get home?"

"Absolutely. I love you kid," Lorelai said.

"I love you too, Mom. Just think, two months from tomorrow…"

"Yeah, two months from tomorrow I'll be Lorelai Gilmore-Danes. I can't wait."

"Me either. Give Luke a hug for me. I'll see you soon."

* * *

The next two months flew by with how busy Rory was at the paper and Jess was getting his newly titled book, _The Outersect_ , ready for printing. They had been able to make one more trip out to Stars Hollow in April for Lorelai's birthday, but were only able to stay the one day. Now, it was the week of Luke and Lorelai's wedding and they would be in Stars Hollow for two weeks. They would be there the week leading up to the wedding day to help with any final details and to be there for the bachelor and bachelorette parties as well as the dress rehearsal and of course the wedding itself on Saturday. They were staying for the week after the wedding to help out with the inn and the diner while Lorelai and Luke spent their honeymoon in a little house Luke rented for the week on the beach in Maine.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: "Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Danes,"

* * *

The morning of her mother's wedding to Luke, Rory woke up with a big smile on her face. She was tired, having spent half the night convincing her mother to take her wedding dress off and go to bed, but as tired as she was she couldn't help but smile at the fact that her mom had tried on her wedding dress again the night before her wedding just as she had already done every night that week since Rory got into town. She couldn't believe it. It was really happening. It just a few short hours her mother and Luke would be married. Luke would be her step-father and she couldn't be happier about it.

"Oh, Mom. You look incredible," Rory told her as Lorelai came out of the bathroom of the room they were using at the Dragonfly to get ready, "You really outdid yourself on that dress."

"You really think it's that great?" Lorelai asked.

"Vera Wang has got nothing on you. It's amazing," Rory told her.

"Thanks, kid," Lorelai told her, "You know I can save it for you, or make you one of your own when the time comes since Jess will have already seen this dress."

"Mom! We've only been together four months. We're a long way away from that. We haven't even talked about marriage," Rory said.

"Maybe not, but I could see the two of you heading in that direction, someday," Lorelai told her.

"Really?"

"Really."

* * *

"Are you girls ready?" Emily asked as she came into the room, "The photographer is ready to...Oh, Lorelai that dress."

"You like it, Mom?" Lorelai asked.

"It's gorgeous. Who designed it? You never mentioned where you were looking or where you bought it," Emily said.

"I didn't actually buy my dress, Mom," Lorelai told her, "At least not all in one piece."

"Grandma, you're looking at a Lorelai Gilmore original," Rory told her.

"You made your wedding dress, Lorelai?"

"I did."

"It's wonderful. Well, I guess you know your next job if you ever get bored owning an inn."

"You think it's that good, Mom?"

"It's perfect. You couldn't have found a more beautiful dress in any store."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, for that last touch," Emily said taking the tiara she wore on her wedding day out of the box on the dresser, "May I?"

"Of course," Lorelai said as Emily moved to place it on her head, "Thanks, Mom, for letting me wear this. It means a lot."

"It's my pleasure to see you in it. You make the most beautiful bride, Lorelai," Emily told her fighting back a few tears.

"Thank you," Lorelai said surprising her mother with a hug, which Rory joined.

"Ladies, may I come in?" Richard Gilmore asked as he entered the room with a smile at seeing his three girls, three generations of Gilmore Girls embracing one another.

"Richard," Emily stated.

"Hey Grandpa," Rory said giving him a hug, "You look great."

"Thank you, Rory. You look lovely," he told her, "Lorelai."

"Hi, Dad," Lorelai said.

"Wow! You look stunning. Luke is a very lucky man," Richard said.

"Thank you, Daddy," Lorelai said, "Shall we go down?"

"Yes, let's go. The photographer is waiting," Emily said.

* * *

The next hour was spent having the photographer take pictures of Lorelai with Rory and her parents in various poses and combinations as well as pictures of Luke and Jess with April, Liz, TJ, and Doula. They took some pictures of the entire wedding party, but were saving any pictures that required Luke and Lorelai to be together until after the ceremony so that the first time Luke saw her would be as she was walking down the aisle.

They held the ceremony in the garden behind the inn. Luke stood in the front with Reverend Skinner under a brand new chuppah he had made just for the occasion. Next to Luke stood Jess, his best man, and Zach who Luke had asked to be a groomsman. With Zach helping out at the diner when Lane was pregnant with Kwan and Steve and on a few other occasions when he needed an extra hand, the two had formed a friendship. In front of Jess and Zach, sitting at attention was Paul Anka, who Luke begrudgingly agreed could be part of their wedding.

The men watched as first down the aisle were Sookie and Jackson's kids, Davey and Martha. Martha, as the flower girl was sprinkling petals on the ground as she walked down the aisle with Davey's hand in hers. Next down the aisle was Luke's daughter April, recently sixteen and anxious for driving lessons that so far neither Luke or Anna were willing to give. Last down the aisle before the bride was Rory.

"Wow," Jess whispered the moment he caught sight of her.

"Easy there, nephew. You'll get your chance," Luke told him, "Just not too soon, okay?"

"Yeah," Jess replied a little shocked that Luke seemed so okay about the possibility of him and Rory marrying someday.

When the wedding march began, Reverend Skinner instructed the guests to stand as Lorelai began her walk down the aisle with her father on her arm. The moment he saw her Luke felt his heart stop.

"Breathe, Luke," Jess whispered nudging him in the back a bit.

"Wow!" was all Luke said after a taking a deep breath when Lorelai stepped in front of him.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" Reverend Skinner asked.

"Her mother and I do," Richard replied.

"Thank you. Please be seated," he instructed the crowd who with the exception of Lorelai's parents and Liz and TJ were pretty intermingled. Most of the guests were members of the town and didn't want to pick a side. They chose instead to sit wherever, but adorned themselves with both a blue and pink ribbon.

"Finally," he said which received a laugh from the crowd, "Of all the words to enter our minds in this moment as Luke and Lorelai stand before us to pledge their love to one another, I'm sure 'finally' is among them."

"Like many of you I've lived in Stars Hollow all my life. I saw Luke grow up and when Lorelai moved here with Rory I watched the two of them grow up as well. And like the rest of you I saw the friendship that quickly formed between Luke and Lorelai. A friendship that eventually grew into the relationship we predicted would come the first day we saw Lorelai walk into the diner."

"They were mesmerized by one another. Though it took them both many years to finally open up and admit their feelings, today they are finally doing just that and sharing those feelings with all of us," Reverend Skinner said, addressing the crowd before turning his attention to the couple before him, "Luke?"

"Thank you, Reverend. Lorelai, you had me the moment you first walked into the diner twelve years ago. You intrigued me with your smile, the fire in your eyes as you demanded a cup of coffee, and that ridiculous hair twirl thing you do to get my attention. Well it worked, it all worked," Luke said, "And I've said this before, but I want you to know again that I am in. I am all in. I love you, Lorelai Gilmore."

"Thank you, Luke," Reverend Skinner said, "Lorelai?"

"Luke, we've had our ups and downs over the years. We've been friends as well as lovers and even hated each other on occasion in between, but no matter if you were mad at me or we'd just had a fight, you were always there for me. You've always known the right thing to say or the right thing to do to make my day better. A doughnut because you knew I'd be hungry later, a homemade ice rink after I had a bad day with snow, a Santa burger," Lorelai said with a giggle at the end, "You've always been there for me, you've always loved me and now I'll always be there for you because I'm in too, Luke. I'm so in. I love you!"

"That was wonderful. Thank you," Reverend Skinner said, "Now may I have the rings, please?"

Taking the rings from the pillow Davey had been carrying Reverend Skinner hands the first one to Luke, instructing him to place it on Lorelai's finger while asking, "Do you, Luke Danes take this woman, Lorelai Gilmore, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Luke says as he places the ring on the third finger of Lorelai's left hand.

"Lorelai," he says giving the other ring to her with the same instructions, "Do you, Lorelai Gilmore, take this man, Luke Danes, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Lorelai said fighting back tears as she placed Luke's ring on his finger.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Connecticut, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Luke, you may now kiss your bride."

Reaching out one hand to wipe her tears, Luke used the other to take hold of her waist as he pulled her in for the most earth shattering kiss that was publicly possible as the crowd around them jumped to their feet in applause.

"I love you," he told her pulling away slightly.

"I love you, too," Lorelai told him before pulling him to her again for another kiss before pulling back so the reverend could introduce them.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Danes," Reverend Skinner said.

To the sounds of more applause, Luke and Lorelai made their way down the aisle towards the inn. They were followed at first by Davey and Martha, with Davey holding onto Paul Anka's leash. Next was April and Zach. Last down the aisle were Jess and Rory, sharing a kiss of their own before departing the garden and heading into the inn for the rest of the pictures and the reception.

* * *

After another half hour of pictures with the entire wedding party and a few shots of Luke and Lorelai by themselves in the garden and in front of the inn everyone made their way to the town square where they would be holding the reception.

Arriving in the square everyone found a seat as Lane, Zach, Brian, and Gil took their spots on the stage to play the song Luke and Lorelai had chosen for their first dance.

"Ladies and Gentleman, it is our honor to play tonight for Luke and Lorelai and it is my honor to welcome out onto the dance floor, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Danes," Zach said as he and the rest of Hep Alien began to play the first notes of "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles.

"Have I told you how amazing you look?" Luke asked as he danced with Lorelai.

"I don't believe so, no," Lorelai said.

"Well, you look incredible. I like the dress," Luke told her, "You never mentioned you were going to get a different one. I hope you didn't spend too much on it."

"No, just several hours and years off my life," Lorelai told him with a laugh.

"You made this dress?" he asked.

"I did. I wanted it to be perfect and nothing I saw seemed right so I did it myself," she told him.

"I knew you were making the dresses for Rory, April, and Martha and even made all our ties, but wow. I never imagined you'd make your own wedding dress," he told her, "You're amazing, Lorelai."

"Thank you," she told him going in for a kiss, "You're pretty incredible yourself Luke Danes."

"Well, thank you Mrs. Danes," he said, "Or are you sticking with Gilmore?"

"I was thinking I'd hyphenate. I'm already Lorelai Gilmore to all my contacts for the inn so I'd like to keep that, but I want to be a Danes, too so hyphenation is the way to go," she told him.

"Okay, sounds good," he told her before giving her another kiss.

After finishing their dance, Luke and Lorelai went to their seats to hear the maid of honor and best man speeches that had been prepared by Rory and Jess before they ate Sookie's delicious food.

Standing up from his spot next to Rory, Jess said, "While Rory and I may both be writers, neither of us is much for public speaking so as the one who drew the short straw I guess I'm going first. I was a seventeen year old punk with a chip on my shoulder the size of Texas when I first moved to Stars Hollow.

"Still are," Luke threw in with a laugh.

"I hated everyone and everything. But even with all that I still saw that first day I was here what everyone else had been seeing for years, Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore were destined to be together," Jess said, "Even though Lorelai wanted to throw a pie in my face thirty seconds after talking to me, I knew we'd end up here one day, at the wedding of two people who couldn't be more perfect for each other. _Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste_. - Charlotte Bronte. May you always be happy, together. Congratulations. To Luke and Lorelai!"

"To Luke and Lorelai!"

"From the day Mom and I first went into the diner Luke has been our coffee provider and handyman and on occasion for me, a surrogate father. He went to all my birthday parties, my high school graduation, he cooked for me when I was sick, and even baked me a coffee cake when I turned sixteen. Luke has always been there for me and for my mom," Rory said, "I hoped and wished so much over the years that they would finally open their eyes and see what we all knew. They belong together. _Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same._ \- Emily Bronte. To Luke and Lorelai, two souls destined to become one."

"To Luke and Lorelai!"

"Did you two plan that?" Lorelai asked, "Both using quotes from the Bronte sisters."

"No, I didn't even let Jess read my speech," Rory said.

"Yeah and she didn't read mine either. It was a complete surprise," Jess said.

"And a wonderful one at that. Thank you, both of you," Luke said giving them both a hug before taking his seat again now that the food was ready to be served.

* * *

After the fabulous meal created by Sookie, Luke and Lorelai cut into their coffee and chocolate flavored wedding cake. Once the cake had been served and eaten the rest of the dancing began. Hep Alien played a few more songs, but they also had Kirk playing DJ so the band would be able to dance and enjoy the wedding as well.

"So, no Hemingway in your speech?" Rory asked as she was dancing with Jess.

"Well, Ernest only has lovely things to say about you," Jess reminded her, "No Rand?"

"I considered a few things, but the Bronte's seemed to have the best quotes for what I wanted to say."

"Yeah, same. I can't believe we both went with Bronte quotes though."

"Especially with how much we've both read, you'd think we would have picked something different."

"Yeah, but I like that we were on similar wavelengths when writing our speeches."

"Me, too," Rory said before kissing him, "You ready for this week?"

"Working back at the diner? I guess so. It's been awhile, but it could be fun," Jess told her.

"I'm excited to help out at the inn. There's nothing major going on this week. Mom didn't want to have any big events booked for while she was gone, but it will be fun to help out again," Rory said.

* * *

Sunday morning after the wedding, Luke and Lorelai got an early start on their drive up to Portland, Maine where they would be staying for the week in a little house on the coast. Jess got started right away in the diner helping Caesar and Lane take and fill the orders while Rory made her way over to the Dragonfly after stopping at the diner for coffee.

The week went by fairly smoothly with only a few hiccups for Jess when Kirk would voice a ridiculous complaint or Miss Patty or Babette tried to flirt with him. He managed to find some time to write, too. Being in Stars Hollow again and of course being back together with Rory, he was inspired to write a sequel for _Small Town Charm?_ and so he got started on a few notes and ideas for his next book.

"Hey," Rory said walking into the diner Thursday evening, "So I was thinking."

"About?" Jess questioned as he poured a cup of coffee for her.

"Thank you. The diner's not busy, Lane and Zach both have the night off, and Mrs. Kim is watching the boys."

"Okay?"

"I say you let Caesar close up and you and I join them for a little grown up time. What do you say?"

"A double date with Lane and Zach?"

"Yep."

"Okay."

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Great. Tell Caesar you're going. I told Lane we'd meet them at Agave at seven."

"So you were just banking on me saying yes?"

"Like you could ever say no to this face."

"Manipulator."

"You love me anyway."

"True. Let me change and I'll be ready to go," Jess told her. Giving her a kiss before heading upstairs to change for their date.

* * *

They arrived at the restaurant to see Lane and Zach had already arrived and were seated at a table.

"Hey guys," Lane said when Rory and Jess sat down with them.

"Jess," Zach said shaking his hand, "Good to see you."

"You, too," Jess said.

"So what looks good?" Rory asked.

"What doesn't look good," Lane replied.

They decided to start by sharing a few appetizers: taquitos, some bbq wings and the fresh guacamole that they make right at the table. The menu also had over a dozen options for margaritas so everyone decided to try one. Jess and Zach went with just a traditional margarita while Rory and Lane wanted to try something a little different. Rory went with the habanero mango and Lane chose the chili passion fruit.

"I think we should get a little variety for our meals and then we can sample a bit of everything," Rory said, "What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me," Lane said, "Guys?"

"Sure," Zach said.

"Works for me," Jess agreed.

They ended up ordering two different kinds of tacos, some enchiladas, a burrito, and a quesadilla. While the guys were full halfway through the meal, Rory and Lane managed to still have room for dessert and split a chocolate lava cake. Having shared everything amongst the four of them Jess and Zach split the bill evenly before they all headed back to Stars Hollow.

Lorelai and Luke arrived back from their honeymoon late Friday night and went straight to bed. On Saturday, Richard and Emily joined the two of them along with Rory and Jess for lunch at the Dragonfly. Rory and Jess wanted to drive back to Philly as early as possible Saturday afternoon so they would have all of Sunday to themselves to relax before heading back to work on Monday.

* * *

 **AN:** Yeah, Luke and Lorelai are married. This chapter took forever to write since I decided to skip traditional vows and I had to search for quotes for Rory and Jess to include in their speeches. I didn't plan for them to both be by the Bronte's. Finding two quotes that I thought worked was a happy accident. A review would be lovely. Happy reading!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

* * *

The week they arrived back in Philly they were hit with some of the worst thunderstorms Rory had ever experienced with inches of rain falling over several days. She was tasked with interviewing and writing about families who had suffered flood damage and loss of power due to the storms. Several families who lived in single level homes or the bottom level of some apartment buildings lost nearly everything and were now having to start over. Her piece, along with the photos Lacey took earned them high praise with the editor.

One picture, Rory considered her favorite that Lacey captured was a young, single mother and her six year old daughter. The caption for the photo was a quote Rory took from her that hit close to home,

 _"We came here with nothing to make our lives what we wanted. We may have lost everything we've built, but we have each other and that's what is most important."_

Jess continued to work with Matt and Chris getting his book ready for publishing as well as writing for his next book whenever his muse hit him.

The day after their five month anniversary, Rory fielded a tearful call from Lane while on her lunch break at work asking if what she had heard was true. Being in a newsroom Rory was among the first to hear and regretfully told Lane that it was in fact true, the world had lost The King of Pop.

The newsroom was abuzz with everyone wanting to write an article about Michael Jackson's death. As a fan of his music Rory would have loved the honor, but as a girl who group up eating off of Charlie's Angel's plates, she had a different request.

"Mr. Days?" Rory asked walking into his office.

"I've told you before you can call me Michael, Rory," he told her, "Now what's up?"

"Thank you, Michael. I had a question about tomorrow's edition. I was hoping you would allow me to write a little something extra," Rory said.

"Don't tell me you want to write something about Jackson's death, too."

"No. I mean, I would love, too, but I actually wanted to write something about Farrah Fawcett."

"Really?"

"Yeah. With it being so unexpected everyone is buzzing about Michael Jackson's death, but no one asked about writing about her. My mom introduced me to Charlie's Angel's when I was real young. We even collected plates with all the Angel's on them. I even brought a set with me when I moved."

"Well, seems like you've already got a start to your article. I approve. Get to work and have it submitted in time for printing."

"I will. Thank you."

* * *

A couple weeks after Rory's article on Farrah Fawcett, she found herself preparing for Jess' birthday. Since his actual birthday was during the week, she decided to throw a party for him that Saturday. The two of them would still have dinner together the night of his birthday and she would give him his present, but they would get together with all their friends and family on the weekend.

Before that though, she was looking forward to celebrating her first Fourth of July in the city where it all began.

"Come on, Jess, get up!" Rory exclaimed the morning of Independence Day.

"Rory, it's Saturday. We don't have work. Why do you insist on being up so early?" he asked.

"Because it's the Fourth of July, Jess and we're in Philadelphia. We have to go to the parade and Independence Hall. I've been living here five months and still haven't seen the Liberty Bell."

"Rory, Fourth of July in Philadelphia is like New Year's Eve in Times Square. The place is going to be crawling with tourists."

"So?"

"So, we live here we can see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall anytime we want. Why does it have to be today?"

"Why not today? What better day to see Independence Hall, the place the Declaration began, then the day it was signed?" she asked, "And besides, don't you want to see Sheryl Crow. She's performing at the concert tonight."

"Yes, I wouldn't mind seeing Sheryl Crow," Jess said.

"So…"

"So, I guess I better get up and get ready for the parade."

"Yeah, thank you."

"You owe me a shower first, Gilmore."

"Done."

* * *

After an extra long shower together, Rory and Jess made there way towards Fifth and Chestnut Streets where the parade would begin to find themselves a spot to enjoy it. When the parade was over they went to Independence Hall and stopped by the Liberty Bell before picking up lunch and taking it to Washington Square Park to eat. After lunch they went over to the Museum of Art to check out the Party on the Parkway before the concert and fireworks later in the evening.

Arriving at the museum Jess asked Rory to run up the steps and let him take a picture to send to Lorelai.

"I'll run up the steps or at least pretend to so you can get your picture, but only if you agree to go to the LOVE sculpture with me sometime and take a picture together."

"Deal."

After walking around the museum a bit they decided to find a spot to watch the concert before it got to packed. While neither were huge Sheryl Crow fans, they liked a few songs and were still pretty excited to see her live.

"Oh I love this song," Rory said as _If It Makes You Happy_ began to play, "It's my favorite Sheryl Crow song.

"It's pretty good, though I kind of like that one she does with Kid Rock," Jess said.

"Oh yeah, _Picture_ , I like that one, too," Rory said.

"Dance with me?" Jess asked when the first notes of _The First Cut is the Deepest_ began.

"Really?" Rory questioned.

"Absolutely," Jess said pulling her into his arms.

Laying her head on his shoulder, Rory became lost in the music and didn't even notice when the song changed, neither did Jess. As the concert ended more people gathered to watch the fireworks. After watching the show of fireworks of the museum, they went back to Jess' apartment to watch more being set off over the Delaware River from the roof of building.

"Happy Fourth, Jess," she said snuggling up against him underneath the blanket he brought up with them.

"Happy Fourth, Ror," he told her placing an arm around her, pulling her to him for a kiss.

"Are you glad we went out today?"

"Actually, I am. It was a lot of fun. Thanks for talking me into it."

"Anytime."

"But don't expect it to work next year. You did your Philly Fourth. Next year we can watch the parade on TV from the comfort of our own home, Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

"Happy Birthday!" Rory yelled jumping onto Jess' bed the morning of July the eighth having let herself into his apartment.

"Mmm, Morning Ror and thank you," Jess said opening his eyes after a few minutes.

"You're welcome," she told him as she started planting kisses along his jawline, going back and forth from just below his right ear and down to his throat.

Quickly flipping them over to take control, Jess returned her kisses, "Best birthday morning ever."

"Really?" Rory giggled, "What makes it so great?"

"Waking up to the sight and sounds of the most beautiful woman in the world makes it an amazing morning."

"Well said, now get ready. I'm taking you out for breakfast."

"Breakfast? I thought you made plans for dinner?"

"I did, but it's your birthday so aside from work this whole day is about you."

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" he questioned, taking her in his arms once he got out of bed.

"Got off a bus in crazytown!" she replied with a quick peck on his lips before moving to leave the room, "Get ready. Time's a wasting."

* * *

Because they opened early enough for them to go before work, Rory took Jess to Cafe La Maude, a little European style cafe, minutes from Jess' apartment. In addition to a cup of coffee for Jess and three for Rory, they both decided to get the four cheese omelet that came with three meats, chorizo, ham, and bacon; as well as the four cheeses. Rory skipped the tomato and avocado that it came with though.

"Thank you for breakfast," Jess said giving Rory a kiss as she dropped him off outside Truncheon before heading into work.

"You're welcome. I'll see you tonight."

"Bye."

* * *

That evening Rory left work at five so she would have time to get ready before picking Jess up and making their six o'clock reservation at Ristorante La Veranda; a beautiful Italian restaurant along the Delaware River. She had made their reservations weeks prior to insure they would have a table right on the water.

"You look amazing," Jess said as he opened his apartment door to greet Rory, kissing her on the cheek.

"Thank you. You don't look to bad yourself," Rory told him, "Ready to go."

"Yep. Are you going to tell me where we're going?" he asked.

"Nope. You'll see when we get there."

A short ten minute drive and they had arrived at their destination. Sneaking a look at Jess when the building came into view Rory noticed a smile. He had mentioned once that he heard the food was good and he loved the idea of eating with the view of the river, but had never been.

"This is where we're eating?" he asked.

"Yep and we've got the best seats in the house," she told him.

"On the water?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Being right on the water they decided it was fitting to go with some sort of seafood for their meal so they started by sharing an appetizer of assorted seafood with a vinaigrette. Wanting to stick with seafood, but also wanting to stay with something light since it was warm out they each chose a seafood pasta. Rory got the ziti with Mediterranean shrimp and Jess had the spaghetti with clams in white sauce.

"That was delicious," Rory said as they walked back to her car.

"I have to agree. That was incredible. We definitely have to come back here sometime," Jess said.

"Definitely, now dessert and presents await us back at your apartment," she said as she pulled onto the highway.

When they arrived back at Jess' apartment he pulled the ice cream out of the freezer to give it a chance to thaw a bit while Rory grabbed his present that she hid in his spare room when she was there to wake him up.

"Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you," Jess said pulling out two new releases from the gift bag Rory handed him, "Okay, Cheap Trick I know, but Florence and The Machine?"

"It's an import. It was just released in the UK. It's their debut album. They're not real well known here yet, but we had a few British writers on the campaign trail when the band was just starting out and I got to hear a bit of their music. It's pretty good," Rory told him.

"Hmm, okay. Sounds interesting. I can't wait to listen to it."

"So, ice cream?"

"Yeah, grab the bowls and I'll get the scoop."

* * *

Saturday morning, Rory was busy getting her apartment ready for everyone to arrive. Her mom and Luke were driving in from Stars Hollow along with April, Lane, Zach, and the boys. Liz and TJ had a renaissance fair to attend out of town so they weren't able to came, but Doula was staying with Luke and Lorelai so she would be there. Lacey and Kara were coming over early to help her set things up and Matt and Chris were bringing Jess over once Rory let them know everyone had arrived.

"Hey Lace, Kare," Rory said as she opened the door for her friends, "Thanks for helping out. My mom and Luke should be here soon with April and Doula. I planned on ordering food, but Luke insisted on cooking."

"I can't wait to try Luke's cooking," Lacey said, "The way you talk about it, it sounds amazing."

"It is, trust me. It won't be anything fancy, just burgers, but Luke makes a pretty damn good burger. And they're bringing a cake that Sookie made," Rory said.

"Yum. That cake you brought back from the wedding was incredible," Kara said.

An hour after Kara and Lacey arrived they had almost everything ready to go. The apartment was clean, they had the drink area set up, plates and silverware were out, and a few decorations. When Luke and Lorelai arrived he began to get to work on the burgers while the girls got the rest of the food ready. When Lane and Zach showed up a little while after Luke and Lorelai, they went through Rory's CD's to get a good mix of music of ready to go. While the adults were getting things ready, Kwan, Steve, and Doula were bonding over the toys and books Rory set up for them while April kept an eye on them.

"Okay, I just texted Matt so they should be here soon," Rory said, "So everyone keep quiet."

"Surprise!" they all yelled when Jess walked through the door of Rory's apartment followed by Matt and Chris.

"Happy Birthday, Jess," Luke said approaching his nephew first.

"Thanks, Luke," Jess said, "I can't believe you're here. All of you. Hey Doula."

"Jessee," she squealed, running up to her brother and wrapping her little arms around his legs, "Miss you."

"I've missed you, too," he told her, picking her up to give her a kiss.

"Happy Birthday," Rory said joining Jess and Doula.

"Thank you," Jess said pulling her into an awkward hug since he was still holding Doula, "I can't believe you did all this."

"You deserve it," she told him, "And your mom said she would call you later, but she also sent something with Luke. Her and TJ and a fair this weekend that they couldn't get out of."

"That's fine. She called me on my birthday, too, but it's nice that she's going to call today, too."

After putting Doula back down with Kwan and Steve, Jess made his way around the room receiving birthday wishes and hugs from the rest of the guests at his surprise birthday party.

* * *

"I can't believe you did all that for me," Jess said as he and Rory lay in bed in his apartment that night. Rory was staying with him so Luke and Lorelai could share her room with Doula and Lane, Zach, and the boys could stay in the guestroom, while April slept on her couch, "It would have been one thing to invite our friends over for the night, but you got our family from Stars Hollow to come, too."

"Of course. It's your birthday Jess. You deserve to celebrate with those that love you," she told him.

"I know. It's just...no one's ever made a big deal out of it before. Liz never celebrated it that I can remember," he told her, "and the first time I moved to Stars Hollow it was after my birthday. You were in Washington the next year and I never mentioned it to Luke. The next year I was with Jimmy and it's not like he would remember."

"Jess."

"No, it's fine. I got over that part of my life a long time ago."

"Good because that time is over. As long as I'm around we will be celebrating your birthday like it's the most important day of the year."

"Thank you. I love you," he told her sitting up to kiss her.

"I love you, too," Rory replied, wrapping her arms around his neck as he continued to kiss her, forcing his mouth open with her tongue.

* * *

 **AN:** The extended, adult version of this chapter can be found under Deleted Scenes from That Part Always Worked. Enjoy! And also, we don't have a birthday for Jess so I gave him Milo's birthday and when planning a present for Rory to give him I wasn't sure what to go with and didn't want it to be something overly expensive like the signed album she gave him for Valentine's Day so I looked up new releases from around that date that I thought they would like.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: "Woah, woah, woah, back up. Please tell me you are not seriously about to tell your mother about our sex life?"

* * *

After breakfast prepared by Luke, the Stars Hollow residents said goodbye to Rory and Jess and returned home. The rest of July passed quickly as Rory and Jess were both extremely busy. Jess' book was completed and published. The publicist he hired when his second book became a hit wanted him to do a small book tour since _The Subsect_ became more well known after the release of _Small Town Charm?_ and as a sequel, they expected _The Outersect_ to be even more popular. Rory wasn't pleased he was going to be gone for three weeks, but she knew it was necessary.

"You'll call me all the time?" Rory asked as they arrived at the airport the day after their six month anniversary.

"And text and email," Jess told her, "These next three weeks are going to fly by."

"I hope so," she told him, "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," he told her hugging her, placing a kiss on the top of her head, "I love you, you know."

"I love you, too," Rory said.

"Alright, enough with the sappy goodbye, Jess has to go," Matt said.

"Don't be a jerk, Matt," Chris said, "Let them have their moment."

"No, he's right. I got to go if I'm going to make my flight," he said.

"Call me when you land?" Rory asked.

"Of course," Jess said threading his fingers through her hair, pulling her towards him for a kiss to last them until he came back, "Bye."

"Bye, Jess," Rory said as they separated and he walked further into the airport towards his flight to Seattle.

* * *

"Luke! I need Coffee!" Rory hollered, walking into the diner a week after Jess left for his book tour.

"Rory? What are you doing here?" he asked as he poured a cup for her.

"What, a girl can't just drop in and see her step-dad?" Rory questioned.

"Of course you can, but you usually call before you come, so what's up?" Luke asked.

"I have the weekend off and Monday, too. Lacey and Kara are both working this weekend, Matt and Chris are busy promoting Jess' book on this coast so,"

"You were bored."

"Pretty much. Would it be alright with you and Mom and if I stayed here this weekend?"

"Absolutely, Rory. Anytime. You don't have to ask."

"Thank you. Is April still in town?"

"No, she went back to New Mexico last week. She starts school on Monday."

"That's pretty early."

"Yeah, but then they're done for the year in May. It made it nice for the wedding that she didn't have to rush back to go school."

"Very true."

"You want something to eat?" Luke asked her.

"Burger please and onion rings," Rory said.

"Coming up," he said then asked Caesar to start on her food, "So how much longer is Jess going to be gone far."

"Two more weeks. He comes back the fifteenth, but then has to spend a week visiting bookstores around here. He'll hit up New York and Boston, and then cap it off with a signing and reading at Truncheon on the twenty-second, which I'm going to cover."

"Where is he at now?"

"Today he has a signing in Chicago and then they will drive down to Indianapolis to do one tomorrow."

"He's gotten around pretty quick already. He started in Seattle, right?"

"Yep, Seattle, then they drove to some town in Oregon I don't remember the name of, then down to Napa before flying to Texas. He hit a couple places there and then drove up to Oklahoma. They flew into Chicago yesterday and after Indianapolis they are driving down to Kentucky and then into Tennessee. I think after that they are flying to Florida. He had a few places to go there and then they will hit the Carolina's and Georgia before coming back here to hit a few local stores."

"Wow. And everything's going well?"

"Yeah, the book is selling like crazy and a lot of the stores are asking for more copies of his other books because they can't keep them in stock."

"That's incredible."

"It is. I'm so proud of him. I always knew he could do great things with his life, but…"

"You miss him."

"Yeah. This past week has got me thinking that if we...if this...This is what our life could be like with him going away for weeks or even months at a time. I don't know if I can deal with that. He's only been gone a week and I already miss him more than I did Logan when he lived in London."

"You don't think it will be the same for him? What if you have to go away for a story? You don't think he'll miss you just as much?"

"I know he will, but that doesn't make it any better. How can a relationship between two people with jobs that could potentially take them away from one another for days or weeks at a time last?"

"It can last because you love each other. You do love Jess, right?" Luke asked.

"More than anything," Rory told him.

"Then that's all you need," Luke said, "And when he comes back tell him how you feel about all this. I can't imagine he likes being away from you either so just talk to him and when and if the time comes for one or both of you to travel somewhere again you'll deal with it."

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said.

"Anytime."

* * *

The rest of the weekend Rory spent time with her Mom. She had a similar conversation with her that she had with Luke about her worries if her and Jess could last if their jobs continued to take them away from each other. Lorelai had the same advice Luke did. That if they were really in love it would work and that she would talk to Jess about her feelings when he got back.

"Yeah, that's the part we sucked at before. We never really talked if something was bothering us," Rory said.

"And you never came to me or Luke with your feelings either. You've grown up, kid," Lorelai told her.

"Oh, Mom, it's Jess. I've got to take this," Rory said as her phone began to ring, "Hey, you."

"Hi. I tried calling you at your apartment. I thought you were off this weekend?" he questioned.

"I am, but I'm in Stars Hollow. I drove in this morning," Rory told him, "It got a little lonely without you and our friends are all busy this weekend."

"I'm sorry," Jess said.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. And I always enjoy spending time with my Mom," Rory told him.

"I'm still sorry. I wish I could be there with you," he told her.

"I know," she said, "So where are you right now? You're supposed to be in Indianapolis, right?"

"Yep, got here about an hour ago. I checked into the hotel and I am currently walking around the Hall of Fame Museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway," he said.

"Seriously, why? You hate racing."

"I don't hate it. I don't particularly enjoy it and I certainly don't understand the fascination with watching cars drive in a circle."

"Careful, don't say that too loud. You don't who you might offend."

"Good point. Anyway, while I'm not into it, Luke is so I figured I'd check it out. Get him a souvenir or something. He likes that Casanova dude that won this year and since it was his third win I'm sure they have some special hat or something honoring it that Luke would like."

"Castroneves."

"Hmm."

"His name is Helio Castroneves, not Casanova."

"How do you even know that?"

"I skim the sports section every now and then and I've heard guys at work talk about him. You know I remember everything."

"True. So what do you and Lorelai have planned for tonight?"

"We kicked Luke out and Lane's coming over for a girls night. We're going to pig out on Chinese food, watch a bunch of movies, swap sex stories, do our nails."

"Woah, woah, woah, back up. Please tell me you are not seriously about to tell your mother about our sex life?"

"Why not, she knows we do it," Rory said with a laugh.

"Because she'll tell Luke and I'll have to apply for Witness Protection to survive," Jess told her.

"Luke wouldn't kill you," she said.

"You sure about that?" he asked.

"Okay, maybe he would," she said, "But to do that he'd have to know. And I would never seriously consider telling my mom what we do. Lane yes, but not my mother."

"So, you just said that to drive me crazy," he stated.

"Pretty much, yeah," she replied with a giggle.

"Oh, I miss that sound."

"Sap."

"You love it."

"I do. Jess…"

"I know. I miss you, too, Ror. Two more weeks."

"Two more weeks," she said, "Alright, Lane just got here so…"

"You have to go," he said.

"But I don't want to," she told him.

"I know. I'll talk to you soon," Jess said, "I love you Book Tease."

"I love you, too, Dodger!"

"You're seriously questioning if you two will last?" Lorelai questioned, "If you stay that sickeningly in love then you definitely will."

"I agree with Lorelai. I only heard the last bit of that conversation, but she's right. You guys are definitely so in love it's sickening," Lane said.

"Thanks guys," Rory said not being able to remove the smile from her face. A smile bigger than the one Paris once referred to as her "harlequin romance look."

* * *

Rory arrived back in Philly on Monday to a package and another postcard from Jess. Since he left he took to sending her a postcard from every city he stopped in. This one, from Indianapolis, had a picture of an old race car that the information on the back said was from the 30s. Looking at the picture again, she then flipped it over to read his words:

 _Vroom, Vroom, Vroom_

 _You make my heart go boom boom._

 _I miss you, Book Tease!_

 _Love, Jess_

Laughing at his play on the song she recently added a ringtone for on her phone from an old Disney Channel movie that she loved, she began to open the package. She confided in him one night that those movies were a guilty pleasure of hers. She loved to stay inside on a rainy day or when she was sick and watch a marathon of them.

Deciding to read the note Jess had included with what was clearly a book before unwrapping it she read:

 _Book Tease,_

 _Just a little something to get you through the next two weeks._

 _It took me from the moment I got on the plane to Seattle until right this moment,_

 _but knowing you, you'll have it done in two days._

 _I'm working on another one that I'll send as soon as I'm finished._

 _Miss you. Talk soon._

 _Love, Dodger._

After tearing through the paper, Rory ran her fingers across the title, _Atlas Shrugged_. She couldn't believe Jess read another Ayn Rand book. She wasn't sure what he was doing at the moment so she figured if he was busy he would have the sound turned down on his phone so she would be safe with a text.

 _Rory - You're amazing, you know that!?_

Expecting a text back, Rory was shocked to hear the sounds of _Supernova Girl_ coming from her phone.

"I take it you're home and got my present," Jess said when she answered.

"I did. And it's wonderful, thank you. I can't believe you made it through another Rand," she told him.

"You got the notes in the margins to prove it," he told her with a laugh.

"I know and I love them. I made it through the first chapter before you called me," Rory said, "I love the postcard."

"And my note on it?"

"That, too. In fact I considered letting the phone just ring so I could hear the song."

"You have that as a ringtone for when I call?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"Because other than my Mom, you call me the most so I can hear it all the time and she'd tease me forever if she knew I watched those movies."

"True, so what do you have planned for tonight?"

"Well, apparently I have some reading to do, but other that nothing so I'll probably just order a pizza, open a bottle a wine, take a bubble bath."

"A bath, huh."

"Yep, just me, the water, my new book, and a glass of wine. Maybe a few candles and some music."

"You're killing me, Gilmore," he said with a groan.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," she replied with a giggle.

"Bullshit," he told her.

"True, but you're just going to have to wait. Two more weeks and then if it will make you feel better we can lock ourselves in your bedroom for a day."

"I'll certainly take you up on that, but you know we could always…"

"No, no, absolutely, not."

"What you've never had phone sex, before?" Jess questioned, but hearing silence from Rory decided he didn't want to know the answer, "Wait, don't answer that."

"Jess," she said.

"No, it's fine. You've been with other guys and as much as I don't want to I have to remember that. I just don't get why you would do that with him, but not me," Jess said.

"We never...we texted a couple times, but we never did anything while on the phone with each other. That's just… I can't…" Rory said.

"Okay, I get it. I'm sorry," he said.

"It's not that I don't…"

"I know, Ror. I know you miss me. I know you love me. If this isn't something you're comfortable doing I won't bring it up again. Okay?"

"Okay. So what's on your agenda for the day?"

"I've got a meet and greet at this little local bookstore in an hour. Then I have to prepare for the talk I'm giving to a class at the university in the morning before we drive down to Nashville."

"You're speaking at the University of Kentucky? Since when?"

"Since Neal begged me. It's his alma mater and he asked me to do it as a favor to one of his old professors. The things I do for my publicist."

"This is a really great thing though Jess. To pass on your knowledge as an author, to influence the minds of America's youth. It's a huge honor. You deserve this."

"Thank you. I can always count on my biggest fan to say the right thing."

"Anytime."

"Alright, well I've got to run or I'll be late. I'll talk to you later?"

"Definitely. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

As Rory was getting ready to take a bath she heard her phone beep and saw she had a text from Jess. Another, apology of sorts for his jealousy towards her past with Logan.

 _Jess - I am not jealous of what came before me._

 _Come with a man on your shoulders, come with a hundred men in your hair, come with a thousand men between your breasts and your feet, come like a river full of drowned men which flows down to the wild sea, to the eternal surf, to Time!_

 _Bring them all to where I am waiting for you; we shall always be alone, we shall always be you and I alone on earth, to start our life!_

Rory smiled at his borrowed words. Lighting a few candles and placing a glass of wine next to the bathtub, she got an idea. Filling the water with bubbles, she snapped a picture of the scene before her and sent it to Jess with a message before getting in:

 _Rory - The water's warm and so am I. xoxo_

Jess' reply was almost instant:

 _Jess - I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair._

 _Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets._

 _Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day_

 _I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps_

Having studied the works of Pablo Neruda at Yale, Rory knew exactly which sonnet he was quoting from and replied with the next line.

 _Rory - I hunger for your sleek laugh,_

 _your hands the color of a savage harvest,_

 _hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails,_

 _I want to eat your skin like a whole almond._

 _Jess - I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body,_

 _the sovereign nose of your arrogant face,_

 _I want to eat the fleeting shade of your lashes,_

 _and I pace around hungry, sniffing the twilight,_

 _hunting for you, for your hot heart,_

 _like a puma in the barrens of Quitratue._

 _Rory - I love you so much, Jess._

 _Jess - I love you, too, Rory. Sweet Dreams!_

After finishing up her bath, Rory got ready for bed. Crossing another day off her calendar, only twelve more days, she picked up the copy of _Atlas Shrugged_ with Jess' notes and read another chapter before going to sleep.

* * *

 **AN:** The texts between Rory and Jess are Pablo Neruda. The first that Jess sent is called _Always_ and the second that they quoted back and forth is _Sonnet XI._ I also borrowed the idea of him sending her postcards and a book with notes in it from other fanfictions. I've read a few that had them both sending books and notes to the other while one was out of town. And for the racing thing. That was purely for me. I live in Indiana and I am a big Indy 500 fan so I decided to make Luke one and Helio Castroneves is my mom's favorite driver so it's sort of for her, too. Happy reading.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** Yay! Jess is back! In this story and on the show! I'm so glad Milo is joining the revival!

* * *

Chapter 16: "So, Jack Kerouac, we meet again,"

* * *

The morning of August the fifteenth, Rory was awake well before her alarm. She showered and dressed for the day before leaving to grab a cup of coffee and a doughnut before she made her way to the airport to pick up Jess.

He saw her first. Engrossed in the book Jess had sent her filled with his notes she didn't notice when he walked up to her.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be more interested in Hemingway than me," Jess said.

"Well, I've been reading your notes more than the story so I'm still not exactly interested in his boring plot points," Rory told him setting the book aside to hug him, "I missed you, Dodger."

"Oh, I missed you, too, Book Tease," Jess whispered into her ear before crashing his lips to hers.

"Mmm, my place or yours?" Rory asked pulling away slightly.

"Doesn't matter. Let me grab my suitcase and we'll go," Jess said.

"Okay. I love you," Rory said kissing him again before lacing his hand with hers and walking towards the luggage carousel.

"I love you, too," he told her bringing their interlocked fingers to his lips, brushing a kiss along her knuckles.

* * *

"You're coming with me tomorrow, right?" Jess asked that evening as they waited for the pizza they ordered to arrive.

"Absolutely, I can't wait to spend time with you in The Big Apple again," Rory said with a laugh.

"Still such an out of towner," he told her.

"Hey, I've spent a bit more time there since we were last there together. I know where forty-fourth is now," she told him, "Besides you don't live there anymore so technically you're an out of towner, too."

"True, but I still know my way around better than you do," he said.

"Fine, so what's the plan for tomorrow?"

"We hit Mercer Street Books first at ten. It's a local place a couple blocks from Washington Square Park. I don't have to be at Hudson Booksellers until three so that gives us time to explore the city, whatever."

"Picnic in the park?"

"If you'd like to, yeah."

"Good."

* * *

Rory loved seeing Jess interact with his fans. It had taken a long time to convince him, but he had finally accepted that his words meant something to people and more than just Rory. She loved the way his eyes lit up whenever someone told him how much his words meant to them and even more when someone said they hoped "Lexi" liked his dedication.

Taking his hand after the signing was over they walked to a nearby deli to grab some sandwiches before going to their bench in Washington Square Park for lunch.

"You know I still haven't seen your withering stare," Jess told her as they sat in the grass under a tree with Rory leaning against him.

"And if you're a good boy, you never will," Rory said.

"Oh come on."

"Nope, I told you. It could hurt you."

"I'll take my chances."

"Not gonna happen."

"You're heartless, Gilmore."

"Deal with it," she said getting up off the ground, "Come on. I want to show you something before we go to Hudson."

"Where? You know we have to be there in an hour right?" he questioned.

"I do and don't worry we're heading there now," she told him leading him to the subway, "It's just a couple of blocks from there."

Jess had a feeling about where she wanted to go and he discovered he was right when they got off the subway at forty-second and she started leading them towards eighth avenue.

"I'm going to work in this building one day Jess," she said once she had reached her desired destination.

"I don't doubt that," he told her, wrapping his arms around her from behind, placing a kiss behind her left ear, "The Times would be lucky to have you."

"You think so?" she asked, turning in his arms.

"I know so," he told, "You're a damn fine writer, Rory Gilmore. Any newspaper should consider themselves lucky to have you write for them."

"It may take awhile to get here, but I want it."

"Then you'll have it. You deserve it."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Believing in me."

"Of course. I told you a long time ago that you could do it. And I'll keep my promise to help."

"So you've learned a foreign language then?"

"No, but I can still learn one if you need me to."

* * *

After the signing at Hudson they headed back to Philly. Not wanting to be apart at the moment, Jess stayed at Rory's apartment. He was going to work at Truncheon the next couple of days and then head up to Boston for a signing on Wednesday.

"You're staying in Stars Hollow Wednesday night?" Rory asked as Jess prepared breakfast for them.

"Yeah, I don't want to come all the back here after I'm done in Boston just to go back to Hartford on Thursday," Jess said.

"Where is this new signing at?" she asked.

"Some bookstore a friend of your grandfather's owns. Apparently Richard has been shopping there for years and mentioned to the owner that he knew me after seeing the article about my signings in New York," he told her.

"I think it's great that you get along so well with my grandpa and that he is so supportive of your career," Rory said.

"Me, too," he said, "So dinner?"

"Would you be up for going out?"

"Just us or are the others joining us?"

"Kara texted me last night saying I've kept you to myself long enough since you got back and we'll have plenty of time to ourselves later and she'd like us all to go out."

"Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah, they're our friends, Ror and while I definitely missed you the most, I did miss them, too."

"I sure hope you missed me the most."

"Well, yeah, but only because you give me something they don't."

"Dirty!"

"I meant your heart, but good to know where your mind is. We'll have to act on that after dinner."

"Uh, huh. Sure. Like your mind wasn't in the gutter, Mariano."

"Never."

"Alright," Rory said looking at the clock, "I've got to go or I'll be late. I'll talk to Kara and Lacey and see what they want to do. I'll text you later with the plans and you can fill the guys in."

"And what, we don't get any say in what you girls decide?" he asked.

"Nope, none at all. See you later. Love you," Rory said giving him a kiss before grabbing her bag, "Bye."

"Love you, too. See you tonight," Jess said.

* * *

A night out with their friends turned out to be exactly what Jess needed after three weeks away from them. They ended up at a bar near his and Rory's apartments where Matt and Chris continued to discuss the idea they'd had for years about opening a bar of their own. Wednesday morning after preparing breakfast for Rory he drove out to Boston to do a signing at a little bookstore near the Harvard campus. He was shocked when he got to Boston and a slightly familiar face showed up at his signing.

"So, Jack Kerouac, we meet again," she said when it was her turn to have her book signed.

"Paris," Jess stated looking up at the blonde woman in front of him, "It's been a long time."

"It has. You going to sign my book or what?" she asked.

"Sure, did Rory tell you I was going to be here?" he asked.

"She may have mentioned it. She didn't tell you I lived here?"

"Nope."

"Oh well, you busy after this? I can show you around a bit and I'll introduce you to my boyfriend."

"Doyle, right?"

"That's him. What do you say?"

"Sure, why not. I'll be done in an hour."

"I'll be back in an hour then."

 _Jess - You're so going to pay for this._

 _Rory - I take it Paris found you._

 _Jess - Yes and now I have to let her show me around and meet her weirdo boyfriend._

 _Rory - Doyle is not weird._

 _Jess - Fine, crazy then. He'd have to be to put up with her for this long._

 _Rory - JESS! Be nice, okay. Paris doesn't have many friends in Boston and I haven't been able to make it up there since I moved to Philly._

 _Jess - Fine, but you owe me._

Jess spent the afternoon and part of the evening with Doyle and Paris. Spending time with Paris wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. He had forgotten she was about as well read as him and Rory so they easily found things to talk about. Doyle met them for dinner when he got off work and after a drink and more conversation at their apartment, Jess left for Connecticut. He stayed in the diner apartment in Stars Hollow Wednesday night and then did his last signing before the one at Truncheon on Saturday at the bookstore in Hartford.

* * *

"Are you excited for today?" Rory asked Jess Saturday morning as they were getting dressed after their morning shower.

"I wouldn't say I'm excited. I'm excited for it to be over. I'm tired of all the smiling and having my hand cramp up after fifty books," he told her, "Why does everyone want my damn picture?"

"You're an author. You've published three books and you're writing a fourth. Like it or not people like you. You're famous so they want a picture with you to prove they've met you," she told him, "And it makes for a nice memory when the whole world knows your name because you've topped the bestseller list."

"Okay, one - thanks for the vote of confidence, but that's never going to happen and two - we're going to be late if we don't hurry up."

"Fine, don't believe me, but trust me it will happen."

"Oh, I trust you. I just have a realistic outlook on this. Authors like James Patterson and Stephen King make the New York Times Bestseller List. Real authors with huge followings."

"It's not like their fan bases grew overnight. It took time. King wrote pieces for magazines before he ever published a novel. And look at Stephenie Meyer. She had no writing experience before _Twilight_ and all four of those books became bestsellers. Plus, _The Host_ debuted at number one."

"Stephenie Meyer, she's your example?"

"Okay, maybe not the best one, but you can't deny people like her books."

"True. I don't get why, but people do. We get kids in at Truncheon all the time asking for them, but we refuse to stock them."

* * *

After Jess finished reading an excerpt from _The Outersect_ and answering questions from the fans who came to the signing, Rory excused herself to the back room so she could get her article written while Jess was busy signing copies for everyone that came. Michael wanted the article in Sunday's edition so she had to get it done quickly and submit it in case it needed any changes.

Jess was glad when the signing was over. His publicist didn't have any other promotional events planned for him so now he could just stay in Philly working at Truncheon, writing his next book, and of course spending time with Rory. Labor Day was coming up soon and he and the guys had already decided they were going to close the store for the weekend so they could all spend the holiday with their girlfriends. Rory was going to be off the Friday before, too so they would have four days to themselves and Jess thought a trip somewhere, alone would be perfect after being apart for three weeks.

* * *

 **AN:** No offense to Stephenie Meyer. I have read and enjoyed reading The Twilight Saga. I just can't imagine Jess or Rory liking them. And I just felt like throwing Paris in there somewhere. With Rory living in Philly and growing her relationship with Jess there really wasn't a place for Paris since she is going to Harvard Medical School, but when I sent Jess to Boston I figured why not bring her in.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** Two chapters today. You can thank Milo for this. I can't contain my excitement knowing he is coming back to Gilmore Girls! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 17: "Chocolate yesterday and roses today? You know you don't have to woo me, I'm already yours."

* * *

"Are you seriously not going to tell me where we're going?" Rory asked as Jess put their bags in his car Friday morning.

"Nope. I'm not saying a word. You'll find out when we get there," Jess told her.

"You wouldn't even let me pack my own suitcase. How do I know you packed the right clothes if I don't know where we're going?"

"Because I didn't pack your suitcase, Kara did, with a little help from Lorelai."

"My mother? When? How?"

"Last night when we went to the movies. I lent Kara my key to your apartment and she did a video chat with Lorelai to help decide what to pack."

"So my mom and Kara both know where you're taking me?"

"Yep and don't even try to ask because they won't tell you."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Kara because she can keep a secret and Lorelai because I promised to bring her back a souvenir from where we are going."

"Must be someplace nice if her silence can be bought with a simple souvenir."

"It is and trust me, you're going to love it."

"We'll see."

* * *

Approximately two hours later, Rory was bouncing in her seat urging Jess to drive faster once she caught a glimpse of the sign that read:

 _Welcome to Hershey_

 _The Sweetest Place On Earth_

"Hershey, Jess! Oh my God! Tell me this is where we are spending the weekend?" Rory asked.

"This is our home for the next four days and three nights," Jess told her.

"Yay! I can't believe it. I've always wanted to come here. Oh, Mom is going to be so jealous."

"She already is. Why do you think I have to bring back a souvenir? I promised her the biggest bar of chocolate I could find in exchange for her keeping it a secret."

"Wow, this room is amazing," Rory said once they had checked into the hotel and walked into the king nostalgia suite they were staying in.

It had a living area with a desk, TV, and sofa that was separated from the bedroom by glass doors. There were flat screen TV's in the living room area as well as the bedroom. Sitting on the coffee table when they walked in was the chocolate tower basket Jess requested be there when they arrived and chilling in the refrigerator was a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.

"The chocolate is just for today, but they will be bringing us a new bottle of champagne and more strawberries each night we're here," he told her.

"Oh, fancy and so delicious," she said taking a bite of a strawberry, "Here try one."

"Mmm, yum," he told her.

"So what's the plan for today?"

"Before we spend the whole weekend together, I do have something planned that's just for you because I'm not really interested."

"What's that?"

"You are due to be down in the spa in half an hour where you will be getting a cocoa massage followed by a cocoa bath."

"Bathing in chocolate, yummy."

"I thought you'd like that. Then afterwards I'll meet you at Harvest for lunch. We have reservations at one."

"What are you going to do?"

"Stay here. Probably write a little."

"Alright, so I'll see you in a couple hours?"

"Yep, see you later."

"Bye."

* * *

"Oh my God, Jess the spa is amazing. I have to come back here with Mom. She'll love that cocoa bath," Rory said as they were seated at their table for lunch, "Who knew bathing in chocolate milk could feel so luxurious. I wonder if we could try it in the bathtub at home."

"I don't think it works like that, Ror. They probably use special milk from a specific type of cow and special chocolate," Jess told her, "I don't think you could grab a gallon of chocolate milk from the store or even put your own syrup into white milk and expect the same result."

"Bummer. It was really incredible. Thank you for setting that up for me."

"You're welcome."

"Did you get a lot of writing down?"

"A bit. I also planned out a few more things for this weekend."

"Good, so what looks good?" she asked looking at the menu.

"A lot, actually, but I was thinking we should stick to something light. Maybe a house salad…" he began.

"SALAD! Do you realize who you're talking to?" Rory questioned.

"Yes, but since I imagine by the end of this weekend you'll have ate my weight and yours in chocolate that having a salad to start with might be a good idea," he told her.

"Oh, fine. I'll eat a salad," she grumbled.

"Good girl and then I figured we could maybe split an appetizer or two."

"How about the chicken wings and the pretzel crusted calamari?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

After lunch they drove first to The Hershey Story Museum. Staying at the hotel included admission so they decided to check it out. The museum was pretty cool. There were a lot of hands-on, interactive things. They learned about the life of Milton Hershey and a history of the town. They spent a couple hours there before going to Chocolate World next.

"Look they have chocolate tasting, Jess!" Rory exclaimed when they arrived.

"You're like a little kid," he told her.

"So?" she asked.

"It's cute. I love the way your eyes light up when you're excited," he said.

After the chocolate tasting they decided to design their own Hershey Bar wrapper.

"Since we get two, we should do one silly and one cute," Rory said.

"Alright, sounds good," Jess said.

They took two pictures for their wrapper. In the first they made silly faces by crossing their eyes and sticking their tongues out. In the second Jess pulled Rory to him for a slow, sweet kiss.

"So, do you want to create your own candy bar now?" Jess asked once they were given their candy bars with their own special wrapping.

"Yeah," Rory said, "We should make one for Mom, too. She'll love it."

"Let's go," Jess said.

"It's like we stepped into Willy Wonka," Rory said as they began picking out things they wanted in their candy bar.

"Yeah it kind of is," Jess agreed.

After making their candy bars they had dinner in the food court before they went to the gift shop where Jess find a five pound Hershey Bar labeled as being the World's Largest Hershey Bar, to take back for Lorelai.

* * *

"Oh, Jess," Rory said her eyes prickling with tears as they walked back into their hotel room and she caught sight of the rose petals that were on their bed.

"It's their rose petal turndown service," he told her, wrapping an arm around her waist and placing a kiss to her temple.

"It's beautiful and incredibly romantic. I'm going to have to suggest this to Mom," Rory said.

"I'm sure Michel would love that. I can already hear him complaining about the mess having rose petals all over the bed would cause," Jess said.

"It's not like he'd be the one cleaning it, but you're right he would complain about the mess," she said, "It would be good for the honeymoon suite though. I'm sure the couples would love it."

"Yeah, so you want to take a shower or anything before bed?" he asked.

"Neh, I'm not ready to wash the smell of chocolate off my skin from the massage and bath I had earlier," she told him.

"Well, I'm going to have to smell that for myself," he said as he took the strawberries from the refrigerator, "You want to grab the champagne?"

"Absolutely," she said before following him into the bedroom.

* * *

Rory woke up the next morning to the smell of roses. She thought it was because of the petals that had been placed on the bed and after their actions the night before they were strewn all around the room, but the this morning the smell was coming from the vase full of a dozen red roses Jess asked to be sent to the room.

"Coffee," Jess said handing her a cup as she began to stir.

"Thank you," she said taking the cup, "Chocolate yesterday and roses today? You know you don't have to woo me, I'm already yours."

"I know that, I just wanted this weekend to be special so I'm pulling out all the stops," he told her, "You can expect me to return to my normal, hoodlum self the minutes we're back in Philly."

"Jess, you're hardly a hoodlum anymore," she said, "But I do appreciate everything you're doing. After being separated for so long, it's nice to have a romantic weekend to ourselves."

"That's exactly what I thought."

"So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well it's pretty nice out so I was thinking after breakfast we could go take a walk through Hershey Gardens, eat lunch out, and then come back here for a swim before dinner. What do you think?"

"I think it sounds perfect."

* * *

"It's so beautiful here," Rory said as they began their walk around the gardens, "Where should we start?"

"You want to walk to the back to the rock garden and then work our way back to the front?" Jess asked.

"Sounds like a plan," Rory said as they made their way through the crowds to the rock garden.

"Sookie would kill to have an herb garden like that, wouldn't she?" Jess asked.

"Oh definitely and probably Luke, too. It doesn't do fancy food too often, but he does make some for Mom every once in awhile," Rory told him as they made their way to the butterfly house after walking through the Japanese garden.

Their last stop in the gardens was the Historic Rose Garden filled with the most beautiful roses Rory had ever seen. After their walk through the gardens they went to The Hershey Pantry for lunch where they each got a build your own burger and fries. After lunch they went back to the hotel to change into their swimsuits for some relaxing time in the hotel pool. They ate their dinner that night at another of the hotel's restaurants, Trevi5, an Italian restaurant. They shared an appetizer of crispy pork belly with goat cheese gnocchi and then each ordered a pasta. Jess had the rigatoni with spinach, mushrooms, and chicken. Rory had the penne bolognese made with a pork, veal, and sausage ragu.

* * *

After breakfast on Sunday they planned to spend the entire day riding rides at Hershey Park. They spent hours riding each roller coaster several times. Their two favorites, sidewinder and skyrush, they rode at least five times each. After one of their rides on skyrush they began walking to another area of the park when Rory made Jess stop.

"What?" he questioned.

"Make your own whoopie pies!" she yelled.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, let's go."

"This looks cool. We get to make our own flavor by choosing both the shell and the filling."

After making their pies that decided to have lunch before going up into the kissing tower, called as such because it had windows shaped like Hershey Kisses, that rose two hundred and fifty feet in the air and gave them a few of the entire park and the city.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Jess. This has been the absolute best weekend," Rory said leaning her head on his shoulder as she enjoyed the view in front of them.

"You're welcome. I've had a pretty good time, too," he told her before pulling her around in front of him to kiss her.

"I don't think this is why they call it the kissing tower," Rory said, pulling away slightly before kissing him deeper.

"No, but I'm sure it's the unofficial reason," Jess told her as he began placing kisses along her neck.

"I think I'm ready to go back to the hotel," she told him.

Arriving at the hotel they were back a little early for the rose petal turndown service, but they did have a fresh bottle of champagne and more of the delicious chocolate covered strawberries.

As soon as they entered their room, Jess placed the 'do not disturb' sign on their door before he turned back to Rory, kissing her once again. Pushing her against the wall next to the door, Jess began kissing along her neck and sucking on her collarbone as she began unbuttoning his shirt.

* * *

Monday morning they got a late start, exhausted after going another round after ordering room service. Once they had eaten breakfast and were all checked out with the car packed, they headed out to ZooAmerica. They decided to spend a few hours there before heading back to Philly.

When they got back home, Rory called Lorelai to fill her in on the details of her trip. At least the details from outside the bedroom. She told her about all the roller coasters they went on, the gardens, and the cocoa bath she took.

"It was amazing, Mom," Rory said, "I mean, I took a bath in chocolate milk. I don't think it gets much better."

"I don't either kid. Except maybe a taking a bath in coffee," Lorelai said.

"Oh, that sounds good, too. I wonder if there's a spa somewhere that offers that."

"Maybe one in Seattle."

"Possible. We'll have to research that. Oh and Mom, every night we had a rose petal turndown service."

"Rose petal turndown. Sounds romantic."

"It was. I told Jess you should consider it for the in. Maybe an extra option for guests who want it, but also add it to the honeymoon suite."

"That's not a bad idea. What else did you guys do or do I even want to know?"

"We did spend a fair enough amount time in the room, but ventured out a lot, too. We made our own chocolate bars."

"Make your own chocolate, yummy."

"Yeah, we're going to come up on Saturday to visit and we'll bring it."

"I can't wait. So you sound like you had a really good time."

"I did. It was the most amazing vacation. I loved every minute of it."

"I'm happy for you sweets."

"Thanks, Mom."

* * *

 **AN:** I've got a deleted scene for this one. It's what happened in the room after Jess put out the 'do no disturb' sign. If you're interested it's posted in "Deleted Scenes From That Part Always Worked." Also, I've never been to Hershey, PA. I wrote this going strictly off websites and google searches. If you've been I hope I did it justice. And since I gave you two today it may be a bit before I get another one out.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** Thank you all so much for continuing to read, follow, favorite, and review. I love opening up my e-mail to see I have new followers and favorites for this story. And thank you for the reviews. Especially my reviewers: siss7, jordana60, and RhizOneill. I think you three have left a review on every chapter so far. Thanks so much! Also I changed my username a bit. It's now the same username I have on all my social media accounts. I discovered I had an old account that was already using that name so I changed them up so this one would have it. Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter 18: "Is this supposed to be the key to your heart or something,"

* * *

After their weekend in Hershey, Rory and Jess were right back to being busy with work. Sales for _The Outersect_ were going so well they had to do a second printing as stores kept getting requests for it. Jess was also working on getting some chapters done of his sequel idea for _Small Town Charm?_ He had already decided on a title, S _mall Town, Life!_ While he had been truthful about his relationship with Rory and other members of Stars Hollow in the first book, he had also exaggerated a few things. With this new book he wanted to convey his and Rory's new relationship and how much that small town and it's people meant to him now.

Two weeks before her birthday, Rory spent a few days in Pittsburgh. She had been asked by her editor to cover the G-20 Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy that was being held there. President Obama was hosting it and acting as representative for the U.S. so with her campaign experience Michael Days felt she had the best voice to write the President's words as well as those of the other political leaders.

"You'll be gone for how long?" Jess asked as she was packing her bag Tuesday night.

"Just until Saturday. The summit takes place Thursday and Friday, but I'm going tomorrow to get myself set up and I'll come back Saturday morning," she told him.

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Absolutely. So many of the world's leaders together in a room talking about the world's economic issues. This could be the first step to being the kind of journalist I've always dreamed of."

"Overseas correspondent."

"Yeah. Well, not necessarily. I would still love to travel and report on world issues, but I also like writing for a daily paper. If I could write for a major daily and still get a chance to report on big things like this summit every once in awhile, that would be amazing."

* * *

A few days after the summit, disaster struck the other side of the world as an earthquake and tsunami rocked the southern Pacific Ocean. Many reporters, Rory included wanted the chance to go over there and report on the damage first hand. Michael had loved her work on the summit and knew she really wanted to go, but wanted a more experienced reporter to handle the job. He encouraged Rory to keep at it and her time would come.

The week of her birthday Rory barely saw Jess as he was busy planning for their date that night. It fell on a Thursday so they wouldn't be out too late, but he still wanted it to be special. They were spending the weekend in Stars Hollow as Emily Gilmore couldn't be talked out of celebrating her granddaughter's twenty-fifth birthday. With some help from Lorelai, Rory was able to convince her to just have a family dinner instead of the big party Emily wanted. As she was turning twenty-five, she would now have full access to her trust fund which she was not looking forward to.

"What are you so worried about?" Jess asked Rory while she was finishing getting dressed after talking with her mother about their upcoming weekend in Stars Hollow.

"I just know they are going to bring up the trust fund," she told him.

"Well yeah, you're twenty-five now. Legally it's yours, right?"

"Yeah, but while having the money will be nice so I don't have to worry about being able to pay bills or whether or not I should buy an outfit I really like or something, I just know there's going to be strings attached to it."

"Strings?"

"Yeah, paying for Chilton and Yale came with endless Friday Night Dinners. With this much money who knows what they'll ask for."

"I thought the trust fund was from your great-grandmother?"

"It is, but I wouldn't be surprised if they added in money of their own. And I'm sure both of them and Gran will be requesting a prenup for when I get married as stipulation for accepting the money."

"As it usually goes when large amounts of money are involved," he told her, taking her into his arms, kissing the top of her head, "Look that's two days away. Relax. Let's just enjoy tonight, alright?"

"Alright," she said, reaching up to kiss his lips, "You never did tell me where we're going."

"And I'm not going to," he told her.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Rory was practically running out of the car when Jess pulled up to Minar Palace.

"Jess!"

"Yes, Ror?"

"Indian food."

"Yeah and you can enjoy it without having to burn down your apartment."

"Funny."

Once seated they began looking over the menu. They decided to start with the restaurant's appetizer sampler as Rory couldn't decide between two of the appetizer options included in the sampler.

"I think I'm going to go with the chicken vindaloo," Rory said, "It's my favorite from Sandeep's and it's been forever since I've eaten there."

"Sounds good. I'm going to go with the chicken makhani," Jess told her, "It looks pretty good."

"Are we staying for dessert?" Rory asked, taking a bite of a samosa after the waiter had placed the appetizer sampler at their table.

"I was thinking we could go to Igloo when we're done here," Jess told her.

"Ooh, chocolate hazelnut gelato, yum," Rory said.

"This is actually pretty good," Jess said, taking a bite of a kebab.

"Of course it's good. Indian food is delicious," Rory told him, "I've been telling Mom that for years, but she still won't touch the stuff."

Once they had finished their meal and Jess paid the bill they drove over to The Igloo where Rory indeed got a chocolate hazelnut gelato which she topped with espresso syrup and caramel while Jess got the cookies and cream frozen yogurt and mixed in a few candies and topped it with chocolate syrup. They took their desserts to go as Jess had another stop in mind and thought she would enjoy eating it there.

A quick five minutes drive and they had arrived at Jess' last destination for the night, JFK Plaza, known by it's nickname Love Park as it is the home to the LOVE sculpture Rory had been begging him to take a picture in front of since the Fourth of July.

"I thought we'd take a walk, enjoy our dessert, take a picture in front of the sculpture, I'll give you your present," Jess said when they arrived and got out of the car.

"Finally giving in to the picture, huh," Rory said, "Oh, did you say something about a present?"

"I did and you'll get it after we've finished our dessert. Come on," he said taking her hand and leading her away from the car.

Once they had finished their dessert, Jess took Rory's hand in his again and led her towards the sculpture. He had to admit it was incredibly beautiful with the fountain behind it especially since it was October and they dyed the water pink for breast cancer awareness.

"It's so pretty, here, Jess," Rory said looking out at the fountain from in front of the sculpture.

"You do realize this is an incredibly touristy thing we're about to do, right?" he asked.

"Yes and I don't care one bit. We stopped in a few places during the campaign that had LOVE sculptures and I saw so many couples taking pictures with it," she said, "It may be touristy and unbelievably cliche, but I love you and I want this picture."

"Okay, then let's do this," he told her grabbing her waist so she was close against him. Holding his phone out in front of him he placed his lips to hers before snapping the picture.

"And now one without us kissing," Rory said.

"Alright. Here we go, one - two - three," he counted before taking a second picture, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Rory said placing a hand behind his neck, pulling him to her for another kiss, "Thanks for doing that with me."

"Anytime," he whispered against her lips.

"Now, about that present," Rory said, pulling away from him.

"Okay," he said pulling a box out of his pocket. A box in a light blue color that immediately made Rory gasp, "Happy Birthday, Rory!"

"Jess," she whispered, "You didn't have to spend…"

"I wanted to," he told her, cutting her off.

Rory opened the little blue box to reveal a classic sterling silver Tiffany Heart bracelet. Though in addition to the Tiffany Heart, this one also had a key hanging from it.

"Is this supposed to be the key to your heart or something," she teased, taking it out of the box and instructing him to put it on her.

"I'm not that much of sap," he told her, "though the key does have meaning."

"Oh."

"Rory, we've been together again for eight months now and I've loved you since I was seventeen. We spend more time together than we do apart. We rarely sleep separately anymore, always trading off between my apartment and yours and I don't want to do that anymore."

"You don't?"

"No, I don't want to trade off whose apartment we stay in. I want us to stay in one apartment. An apartment that belongs to the both of us."

"You want us to move again together?"

"Yes. I love you, Book Tease. I want to fall asleep next to you every night and wake up with your head on my chest every morning. I want to cook your breakfast and share our books. I'm not ready to get married or anything yet, though the thought's crossed my mind."

"It has?"

"Yeah, it was hard not to imagine it as you were walking down the aisle at Luke and Lorelai's wedding."

"Yeah," she laughed, "I actually thought about it a bit that day, too."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, I was telling Mom how beautiful her dress was and she offered to save it for me, but then said she should probably make me a new one that you hadn't seen already," Rory told him.

"So, she brought it up first?" Jess wondered.

"Yep," she said.

"Huh."

"What?"

"It's weird. Luke mentioned it first, too. When we were up at the altar and I saw you he told me my day would come, but not to rush it."

"I like that they're so supportive this time."

"Me, too," he told her, "You know, you still haven't answered my question."

"Well, technically you didn't ask a question," she said.

"Rory, will you please move in with me?" Jess asked.

"I would love to," she said before crashing her lips into his, "I love you Dodger!"

"I love you, too, Book Tease!"

* * *

They arrived in Stars Hollow late Friday evening to find Luke and Lorelai waiting for them at the diner.

"Hey, Mom, Luke," Rory said when she and Jess walked in.

"You didn't have to wait here for us," Jess told them, "I'm going to take our stuff upstairs. I'll be back in a minute."

"Coffee, Rory?"

"Yes, of course. Thanks, Luke."

"So, tell me, how's life?"

"Mom, I talk to you almost everyday. You know how life is."

"True, but we haven't talked since your birthday phone call so tell me how was it? What did you guys do? Where did you go? What did he get you?"

"It was great mom," Rory told her, "We went out for Indian food."

"Oh, Indian food," Lorelai said, "at least by eating out you didn't have to burn the apartment down."

"Funny," Rory told her, "It was delicious. After dinner we went to The Igloo. I had chocolate hazelnut gelato and Jess got frozen yogurt."

"The hoodlum had a nice cold fro-yo?" Lorelai questioned.

"Seriously, Mom, just stop," Rory said, "We took our dessert with us and ate it while walking around Love Park."

"You finally got him to cave on the picture," Lorelai said.

"Yep, here," Rory told her, showing her the pictures on her phone.

"Okay, dinner, dessert, pictures," Lorelai said, "Now how about the goods. Come on kid, don't hold out on me. What did he get you?"

"Alright, alright. He got me this," Rory said, holding out her wrist to show Lorelai the bracelet.

"How sweet, he gave you the key to his heart," Lorelai said.

"Not quite," Jess said coming down the stairs and giving Rory a kiss on the cheek as he took the seat next to her, "She's had that since we were seventeen."

"Okay, that was disgustingly sweet. Someone want to fill me in before you two get too gross for the mother to handle," Lorelai said.

"We're moving in together, Mom," Rory told her, "Jess asked and I said yes."

"That's great kid."

"Really?"

"Sort of. Though the idea of my baby living with a man still makes me want to cry, I'm incredibly happy for you guys."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Yeah, thanks, Lorelai. Luke? Are you okay with this?"

"I'm with Lorelai. The idea of the two of you living together is weird because I still think of the both of you as kids, but you're adults now. You're capable of making your own decisions and if this is something you both want, than I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Uncle Luke," Jess said.

"Yeah, thank you, Luke," Rory said.

"So, when's the big move? Who's apartment are you going to live in?" Lorelai asked.

"We haven't decided all that yet," Rory told her.

"But, it won't be until closer to the end of the year, though," Jess said, "Both of our leases are up so we'll either renew one of them or end them both and find a new place."

"Sounds like you have it all figured out then. That's good," Lorelai said, "Okay, it's late and I'm sure you're probably tired from the drive so we'll see you kids in the morning."

"Yeah, goodnight, Mom," Rory said giving her a kiss on the cheek, "See you in the morning. Night, Luke."

"Goodnight," Luke said, "Lock the door behind us."

"I will," Jess said, "Goodnight."

* * *

"Are we going in or what?" Lorelai asked when they arrived at her parents house and were now standing outside the door.

"Since when are you excited for dinner with your parents?" Rory asked.

"Since I'm hungry and it's for your birthday so they're making all your favorites," Lorelai told her, "Why don't you want to go in?"

"Because it's for my birthday," Rory said.

"Okay, I'm going to need a bit more explanation than that."

"I'm twenty-five now."

"Yes, I seem to remember being there when you were turning nothing. I still don't see any issue here."

"Gran's trust fund she set up for me."

"Oh."

"Yeah. She set it up for me to receive when I turned twenty-five. We know it started with a quarter of a million, but who knows what it's up to now if she added to it or if grandma and grandpa put money in or did one of their own."

"You're worried about how much money you're getting?"

"Yes. I don't need it. I never needed it."

"Oh, sweets, just relax. So you get a lot of money, that's not going to change who you are."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you decide who you are and what you do with this money. You'll still be Rory, you'll just be able to afford all those crazy, heavy books you've always wanted."

"Crazy, heavy books?"

"Yeah like a new thirty pound dictionary. I'm sure the old one's a little outdated."

"Possibly. Alright, let's go in," Rory said reaching over to ring the doorbell.

* * *

"I hope no one minds we made a pitcher of martinis," Emily said when they gathered in the living room.

"Not at all, Grandma," Rory said.

"Happy birthday, Rory," Richard said giving her a hug.

"Thanks, Grandpa," Rory told him.

"Happy birthday, Rory," Emily said handing her a martini.

"Thank you," Rory said.

"So, did you and Jess do anything exciting for your birthday?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, he took me to this really great Indian restaurant for dinner, then we went out for ice cream and took a walk in the plaza downtown," Rory told her.

"And was that bracelet a present?" Emily asked noticing the new piece of jewelry on Rory's wrist when she took a drink of her martini.

"Yes it was," Rory said holding out her hand for Emily to see it.

"Tiffany's. Excellent choice, Jess," Emily said, "It's lovely, Rory."

"Thank you, Mrs. Gilmore," Jess said.

"Thanks, Grandma," Rory said.

"You're welcome," she said, moving to get up when she heard the doorbell, "Oh, good everyone else is here."

"Everyone else? Who's everyone else?" Lorelai asked.

"You invited other people?" Rory asked, "Who?"

"Rory!" they heard a small voice shout as a blonde headed six-year old ran into the living room.

"Hey, Gigi!" Rory said getting up to give her little sister a hug, "It's good to see you, little sister."

"Happy birthday!"

"Thank you."

"Happy birthday, kiddo," Christopher said, joining them in the living room and hugging Rory.

"Thanks, Dad. I'm so glad you're here," she told him, but then looked behind him to see a third person had joined him and Gigi.

"Happy birthday, Rory," the woman said.

"Thank you, um, Gr-, er Mrs…" Rory stumbled, unsure of what to call the woman before her.

"Francine will do just fine, dear," Francine Hayden said.

"Okay, Francine. Thank you," Rory said still a little hesitant around the woman she previously met once when she was sixteen.

"Lorelai you're as beautiful as I remember," Francine said when she took her seat, "And this gentleman must be your husband."

"Yes, this is Luke. It's nice to see you Francine," Lorelai said, "How have you been?"

"I'm quite good, dear," Francine said, "And Rory, who is this man you have with you?"

"Francine, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Jess Mariano," Rory said, "Jess, this is Francine Hayden, my grandmother."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hayden," Jess said.

* * *

After sitting down to dinner where they enjoyed a feast of many of Rory's favorite foods: macaroni and cheese, pot roast, and a delicious chocolate pudding for dessert, they all gathered in the living to give Rory her birthday presents. And while no one mentioned it at dinner, Rory was sure they would be talking about the trust fund as well. Rory received several new books from her father and her grandparents. She also got several new outfits from Lorelai and Luke that Rory was sure Lorelai picked out because she already planned to borrow them the next time she came to Philadelphia. While she was reading the card Gigi had made for her Francine spoke up.

"Rory I have something I'd like you to have," Francine said handing her a small jewelry box, "They belonged to my grandmother. Her birthday was in October as well."

"Oh, Francine, they're beautiful," Rory said opening the box and running her fingers across the antique diamond and opal drop earrings, "My birthstone. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, dear," Francine said.

"Now, then. Since the physical presents are out of the way let's move on," Richard said, "Rory, I'm sure you are aware of what we need to discuss tonight?"

"My trust fund from Gran," Rory said.

"Yes, now that you are twenty-five you have full control over the trust fund my mother set up for you. She started it, as you know, when you were sixteen," Richard said.

"Yes, she put a quarter of a million in it, right?" Rory asked.

"She did, but she added to it. Starting when you turned seventeen she began adding twenty-five thousand to it every month until she passed. It was written in her will for you to receive half a million when she died, either directly to you or added to your trust fund if she died before you received it. She then also had plans for an additional half a million to be added on your twenty-first birthday," Richard told her.

"So there's," Rory began quickly doing the math in her head, "Two, two million dollars in my trust fund from Gran?"

"Not accounting for the money you've already used from it, yes," Richard said.

"Wow. Two million dollars. I don't know what to say. What do I do with two million dollars?" Rory wondered.

"There is more," Emily said.

"More?" Rory asked.

"Yes, your grandfather and I set up a fund for you as well," Emily told her.

"You did?" Rory asked.

"Yes, we did," Richard told her, "We started it when you were born. We began with a hundred thousand and added ten thousand a month until now. Then each year on your birthday we put another fifty thousand in. And when you graduated from Chilton and Yale we added seventy-five thousand."

"Oh my God," Rory said once she began adding it up. For just her birthdays alone they had given her over a million dollars, but adding it all up together, "Four and half million?"

"Wow, that's a lot of money," Lorelai said.

"Yeah, Grandma, Grandpa, thank you, but this is, it's too much," Rory told them.

"You deserve it, Rory. You're a smart, young woman who works hard. We know you may feel like you don't need the money and that's fine. You don't have to spend it just because you have it," Richard said, "It's your money to do with what you wish. You can donate some to charity, invest in something, buy a house, take a trip."

"We want you to have it, Rory," Emily told her.

"Thank you. I don't know what else to say," Rory said.

"Rory dear, I'm sure you're incredibly overwhelmed by all this and I'm afraid I'm about to add to it," Francine said.

"Oh, no," Rory said.

"Christopher?" Lorelai questioned.

"I'm sorry, Lor. I only just learned about it myself," he told her.

"Straub and I started a fund for you when you were born as well," Francine said.

"But…" Rory interrupted her.

"I know. I'm sorry for how Straub and I acted when we first met you. We were so stuck on the fact that Christopher didn't want to follow our plans for him that we took it out on you by refusing to get to know you," Francine said, "And it's a shame because I've heard wonderful things from your father and I've read everything you've written. You're a remarkable woman Rory. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to realize it."

"Thank you. I accept your apology," Rory told her getting up to give her a hug.

"Thank you. Now, for your trust fund," Francine said, "Like I said we started it when you were born with a quarter of a million. Each year on your birthday we put in a hundred thousand and when Straub died, it was written in his will to add an additional quarter of a million. He also put a quarter of a million in when you graduated from Chilton and I added the same when you graduated from Yale."

"Wow, you've got yourself another three and half million, kid," Lorelai said.

"Wow is right. With all three funds that's," she said, "ten million dollars! Wow! So what do I have to do now?"

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"What do I have to do now that all that money is mine?" Rory asked.

"Nothing, really," Richard told her, "Just sign a few papers saying that control over the funds belongs to you. Once that's done we can transfer all the money to an account of your choosing."

"And that's it?" Rory wondered.

"Yes, the money is yours. The way the funds were set up we are legally obligated to give it to you now," Richard said.

"There aren't any other stipulations or anything with it? Like a prenup or something when I get married?" Rory asked.

"Well," Emily began.

"I knew it!" Rory exclaimed, "I knew you wouldn't give me all this money without expecting something else in return."

"Rory sweets, calm down," Lorelai told her, "With this amount of money a prenup is only natural."

"See, that's exactly what I said," Jess told her.

"You'd be okay with them making you sign a prenup if we got married?" Rory asked.

"Yeah. While I don't necessarily like idea of a prenup. Having one feels like you're already planning for the marriage to end, but I understand why they'd want one," he told her, "You're a journalist Rory. Journalists already don't make much as it and with newspapers dying out in favor of online media sources, it makes sense to protect what you have."

"You're right. I don't like it, but you're right," Rory said, "Okay, let's sign some papers."

* * *

 **AN:** Okay, so I have no idea how much money the Hayden's or Gilmore's have, but I imagine it's a lot so I decided to give Rory a nice hefty sum so that her and Jess could afford a nice place together.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: "Jess, why does it smell like pine trees in here?"

* * *

"Rory, you home?" Jess called walking into her apartment a month after her birthday.

"Up here," Rory called from her spot at her desk in her spare bedroom.

"Hey," Jess said giving her a kiss before taking a seat on the futon, "What are you doing?"

"Well," Rory began taking her laptop with her and sitting beside Jess on the futon, "We need a bigger place."

"A bigger place?"

"Yeah. Two bedrooms works fine for us separately, but I've been sitting here looking at all my books crammed into this room. I also have some on shelves in my room and the living room. Add in all the books you have, plus our music and movie collections. There is no way we could fit all our stuff into one of our current apartments."

"You're probably right. Even if we put some of our furniture in storage the place would be pretty cramped with our combined book collections alone."

"See, so I've been thinking about where we should look and as much as I love this building there are no bigger apartments here and there are not any in yours either. To have enough room we need three bedrooms."

"Right, that way we would have room for our books as well as still keep our office space."

"Yeah, so I was looking and I couldn't find anything as close to our workplaces as we have now, but it's only a couple miles for each of us and it has plenty of space. Too much probably for what we need right now, but…"

"But, more space would be nice for the future?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, hit me with it. Where is it? What's it like?"

"Edgewater Apartments. It's by Schuylkill River. Only a few blocks from the Franklin Institute. It's a bi-level with three bedrooms and each has a walk-in closet. There are three and half bathrooms. The master has a bathtub and a separate shower."

"Nice, what else?"

"The kitchen is a good size as is the living room and dining room. It has a terrace off the living room and the master bedroom. One of the bedrooms is downstairs so it would make a great guest room. There is a den upstairs between the master and second bedroom. I figured the den would be a great place to keep all our books and then we could use the second room upstairs for an office."

"You've got it all planned out, don't you?"

"I really like this place, Jess and since I really don't have to worry about money I want us to live in a place that's…"

"Perfect?"

"Yeah, perfect. What do you think?"

"The building looks nice. It has more than enough space for us right now and if we're planning for the future it would be nice to have extra space. Having the den to house our library of books is a very good thing and I love the idea of having an office for us to share."

"So…"

"Let's take a look at it and if we like what we see in person we'll go for it."

"Thank you."

* * *

Since it was Sunday when Rory showed Jess the apartment they weren't able to see it then, but they set up an appointment to see it later that week. Rory left work early Wednesday afternoon and met up with Jess at Truncheon so they could drive together to Edgewater to look at the apartment.

"You're really excited about this place, aren't you?" Jess questioned when Rory practically pounced on him when she walked into Truncheon.

"Yes, I really like it, but what really excites me is that we're doing this together," she told him, "We're looking at a place for us to live together as a couple. We're planning for a future with each other. It's exciting!"

"I couldn't agree more," Jess told her, wrapping his arms around her to pull her to him for a kiss.

"Hmm, let's go," Rory said pulling away from his lips and taking his hand in hers.

They drove the two miles to Edgewater and met the woman showing them the apartment they wanted to look at in the lobby. The apartment they were looking at was a twenty-four hundred square foot, two story penthouse on the eleventh floor of the twelve story building, with views of both the river and downtown. Before going up to the apartment they were shown the computer room available to all tenants as well as the fitness center Jess knew Rory would never set foot in, but he liked the idea of having it in the building if he ever wanted to use it.

"Wow! This is even more amazing in person," Rory said as they walked in the apartment looking first at the kitchen on their right, "I love that it comes with all the appliances."

"Yeah and I like the island and I love that it's raised on the one side so it's like bar seating. That would be nice for us for breakfast and stuff instead of sitting at the table," Jess said.

"And it would be the perfect place for me to watch while you cook," Rory said.

"True. I also really like how much space is here, too for the living room and dining room," Jess said, "There may even be enough space to put a few bookshelves down here, too."

After the kitchen and living room they looked at the downstairs bedroom which they loved. They both agreed that having one bedroom downstairs with its own bathroom would be perfect for whenever Luke and Lorelai came over or if April came to visit. This room would definitely be the guestroom. And the big closet would be great for extra storage.

Going upstairs they fell in love with the open space at the top of the stairs that the online floor-plan labeled as a den. Looking at the space they could see the walls lined with bookshelves and the window looking out onto the terrace would be a great spot for either a small sofa or a couple of chairs so they could have a quiet spot to sit and read.

"There is definitely room in here for both of us to set up our desks," Jess said as they looked through the second bedroom upstairs.

"Absolutely, we can put them in the middle of the room facing each other or against either wall," Rory said, "Or with the size of the closet we could honestly make it into to an office and have separate one's."

"Very true, but I like the idea of us sharing the office space," Jess told her.

"Me, too," Rory agreed, "Shall we see the master now?"

"Yep, let's go," Jess said.

"I think this almost twice the size of my room in my apartment, Jess," Rory said when they walked into the master bedroom.

"I'd say it's pretty close. All three bedrooms are bigger than the bedrooms in both our apartments. The kitchen is a lot bigger, too," Jess said.

"I really like it here, Jess."

"I do, too."

"So…"

"So...let's sign a lease."

* * *

Once they had the lease signed and their deposit made they were ready to start moving things in. Since they were getting this particular apartment with a long term future together in mind they went for a two year lease. Edgewater would be there home until the end of 2011 at least. They still had another month on their leases at their own apartments, but wanted to get started on moving right away. So over the next few weeks they packed up and moved as much as they could that they wouldn't be needing before they moved in to their new home.

"You know, it's a good thing I don't cook," Rory said as they were unpacking some things in their new kitchen.

"And why is that?" Jess asked.

"Because I don't have much kitchen stuff so we don't have to worry about our things not matching. We just have to get more to match what you have now that we have a bigger kitchen."

"True, so what do you want to put where in the rest of the place?"

"Our couches work well together and there is enough space in here for both so we could put both in the living room and I my futon can go up in the library."

"I like that and you have the nicer dining room table so we'll use yours and I'll see if one of the guys wants mine or if there is somewhere we can use it at the store. We can put one of our TVs in the living room and the other in our room."

"I like that idea and the same with our beds. We can pick one to put in our room and the other we can use for the guest room. The only things we'll really need to buy are little things like more towels and stuff since we have so many bathrooms. And I want to see if Luke can make more bookshelves for the library so everything matches."

"That's a good idea. We can ask him when we go for Thanksgiving and when he has them done maybe him and Lorelai can give us a hand with the rest of the moving."

"Definitely. I wonder if he'd be able to get them done by Christmas."

"Why?"

"I kind of like the idea of spending our first Christmas together as a couple in our new home."

"I kind of like that idea, too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And I was thinking that maybe we could have our families here for Christmas."

"Here? With us?"

"Yeah. Grandpa and Grandpa will be out of town so it would just be Mom and Luke plus Liz and TJ if you want. We have the room and if can get everything moved in here by then it could be a nice grown up thing to do. Hosting Christmas for our families."

"You really want to do this?"

"I really do."

"Okay, we'll do it. We'll talk to them about it at Thanksgiving."

* * *

After another Thanksgiving in Connecticut, this time they had a big family dinner at the Gilmore's with Christopher, Gigi, and Francine as well along with a lunch at the inn with Liz, TJ, Doula, Sookie, and various other town members, Rory and Jess were back in Philadelphia getting their new apartment ready for them to live in and to house their families for Christmas. They showed Lorelai and Luke pictures of their new place and Rory asked Luke about making more shelves for them. They were happy for them and decided to come down a few days before Christmas to bring the new shelves and help them move anything they had left.

"Jess, why does it smell like pine trees in here?" Rory asked walking into their new apartment the week before Christmas. They had everything moved in and unpacked. Thanks to their friends it was an easier task than they expected and were now ready to spend their first night in their new home.

"What do you think?" Jess asked when Rory walked in and saw the tree he brought in.

"You got us a Christmas tree," she stated.

"Yep, I figured we could spend our first night in our new home decorating it," he told her wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her to him, "What do you say?"

"I love it," she told him giving him a deep kiss.

After getting the lights all untangled and up on the tree, Jess decided to work on their dinner while Rory arranged and sorted the ornaments before putting them on the tree. Jess had bought several packages of new ornaments in various colors, but he had also got in touch with his mom and Lorelai and asked them if they would send some of their childhood ornaments so they could have them on their tree as well.

"I can't believe all the ornaments you got, Jess," Rory said as she looked through the images of their favorite authors Jess had found ornaments of, "I love these and I love that all the snowmen are reading."

"We will definitely have the most literary minded Christmas tree," Jess said placing a plate of food for each of them on the counter, "Let's eat and then we can put up the ornaments."

* * *

"I've got one last ornament to go on the tree," Jess said going to the coat closet to get a bag for Rory to open.

"Jess, it's beautiful," Rory said pulling the ornament out of its safety net of tissue paper.

"I found a website that makes personalized ornaments," Jess told her, taking the ornament from her hand to hang on the tree, "I had them make it using the same text we used on the book."

"I love it. Our First Home," Rory read, running her fingers across the words of the small book ornament that now hung on their tree. The words were written in the same script of Jess' book, _Small Town Charm?_ , "I love you so much, Jess."

"I love you, too, Ror," he said pulling her to him, crashing his lips to hers before pushing her top off her shoulder to suck on her collarbone.

"Mmm. How about we clean all this up tomorrow," Rory said pulling away, indicating the empty boxes, "And we go upstairs and christen our new home?"

"Sounds good to me," Jess said taking her hand, leading her up the stairs to their room.

* * *

Three days before Christmas Lorelai and Luke arrived with April and Paul Anka as well. April spent Thanksgiving with her mother in New Mexico so she was spending Christmas with them and since they were staying for a few days, Lorelai didn't want to leave Paul Anka in a kennel or with a neighbor. Rory and Jess set up their room for Luke and Lorelai, deciding to sleep on the futon in the library so Liz and TJ could have the guest room with Doula when they arrived while April slept on one of the couches in the living room.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Rory asked Wednesday morning, two days before Christmas.

"I'm drinking orange juice. What does it look like I'm doing?" Lorelai asked as she took a seat on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter.

"I can see you're drinking orange juice. What I don't understand is why. You never drink orange juice or eat or drink anything even remotely healthy accept…," Rory paused remembering the time Lorelai called her freaking out about eating apples, "You're not, um, are you?"

"Maybe," Lorelai said.

"Maybe, you don't know?" Rory asked.

"I suspected at Thanksgiving. I've been putting off taking a test because I didn't want to get my hopes up," she told her.

"So you want this, you and Luke?" Rory questioned.

"Yeah, kid we do. We talked about it before we got married, but with my age we weren't sure if it would happen or the risks involved. We decided to try anyway," Lorelai told her, "I want this sweets. So much."

"So, let's get a test and found out," Rory said, "We'll do it together and if you are then it will be a great surprise for Luke for Christmas. What do you say?"

"Okay, let's do it," Lorelai said.

* * *

"Rory," April said when Lorelai went upstairs to get ready.

"April, you're awake. How long have you been awake?" Rory asked.

"Long enough to know we may be having a little brother or sister."

"You're not going to tell Luke and Jess are you?"

"No, I'll keep it to myself if that's what Lorelai wants, but I would like to go with you guys to find out."

"Sure. I mean after all, it's your sibling, too. Get dressed and I'll let my Mom know you're going with us and tell the guys we're going out."

"Okay. Thanks Rory."

"Of course."

After getting ready the three women gathered themselves into Rory's car and drove to the nearest store to get a few pregnancy tests for Lorelai. Since the lease wasn't up until the end of the month and Rory still had the key to her old apartment they decided it would be best for Lorelai to take the tests there so Luke and Jess wouldn't find out before Lorelai was ready to tell them.

"Well?" Rory asked when Lorelai came out of the bathroom a few minutes after they arrived at the apartment.

"Three tests. All the same," Lorelai said sniffling a bit as she wiped away her tears.

"Are those happy tears or sad tears, Lorelai?" April asked.

"Happy, I'm going to have a baby!" she exclaimed.

"Oh my God, we're getting a little brother or sister!" Rory yelled grabbing April and Lorelai for a big group hug, "I'm so happy for you Mom."

"Me too, Lorelai," April said, "I can't wait."

"We should get you guys shirts," Lorelai said.

"Shirts?" Rory questioned.

"Yeah, it will be how I can announce it to Luke. Rory, you can wear an oldest child shirt and April, how about a Jan Brady middle child one?" Lorelai asked.

"I don't know about Jan Brady specifically, but I'll wear a middle child shirt and then I guess you want to get a youngest child or something for the baby?" April asked.

"Yeah, maybe," Lorelai said.

"Oh, I got it," Rory said, "What if we did Thing 1 and Thing 2 for me and April and Thing 3 for the baby?"

"I love it," Lorelai told her.

"Great let's go find some. We can wear them tonight and you can wrap the other one for Luke to open and say it's an early Christmas present," Rory told her.

"Sounds good," Lorelai said, "April?"

"I'm game."

* * *

After dinner that night, Rory and April excused themselves so they could change into their new shirts while Lorelai grabbed the gift bag with the baby sized Thing 3 shirt for Luke to open from the coat closet.

"We went shopping today," Rory said coming into the living room, "What do you think?"

"Thing 1 and Thing 2, too, huh?" Jess asked looking at them.

"Yep," April told him, "You like them, Dad?"

"Very nice," Luke said.

"We got something for you, too, Luke," Lorelai said handing him the bag.

"Should I open it now or do I have to wait for Christmas?" he asked.

"Now," Lorelai told him nodding to Rory to get her phone ready to take a picture of Luke's reaction.

"Thing 3," Luke read pulling the shirt out of the bag, "It's a little on the small side. It's even too small for Paul Anka."

"It's not for Paul Anka," Lorelai told him smiling through her tears.

"If it's not for Paul Anka, then who…" Luke said, pausing as he realized what she was telling him with this gift, "You're pregnant?"

"Yeah," Lorelai told him, "I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby."

"Oh, wow," Luke said kissing her briefly, pulling away when he remembered they weren't alone, "How far along?"

"My guess would be about six weeks. I haven't been to a doctor yet. I just took a test or three today," Lorelai said.

"So that's what you ladies were up to when you left so early this morning," Jess said, "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Jess," Lorelai said.

* * *

Christmas in Philly was a lot of fun for the growing and extended Gilmore/Danes/Mariano family. Liz was ecstatic to be getting another little niece or nephew. Doula loved the idea of having a cousin to play with. Rory and Jess loved having their family with them in their new home for Christmas and were looking forward to having a new sibling and cousin. They were also looking forward to celebrating New Year's with their friends. They invited Chris, Matt, Kara, and Lacey to come over and welcome in the new year with them. They were happy, together, in love. It had been a great year and with the news of a new baby in the family and their new home, they were sure that the new year would only get better.

 **AN:** I'll probably jump ahead a bit as I write the next few chapters. Not too far. Maybe just a few months or so. And if you're interested there is a video tour of the apartment I moved Rory and Jess into. I loved it when I saw the floor-plan on the buildings website, but loved it even more after watching the video. It's an amazing apartment. If only I had money and lived in Philly.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: "So Jess has become a frequent purchaser of the little blue box?"

* * *

When the new year started Rory and Jess were busy settling themselves back in at work. Jess was continuing to write his latest book. He had an ending in mind for what he wanted to see happen with Will and Lexi so once that was written he hid those pages away at Truncheon so Rory wouldn't find them while he continued to write the rest of the book. Rory was busy with article after article. She had taken a liking to reporting on a lot of local events in the neighborhood of Philly they lived in and some of the surrounding area. During one of the pitch meetings Michael was looking for someone to cover a carnival a local high school was hosting for charity and when Rory began telling him about all the crazy events her town threw he offered her the spot.

"Jess, I'm home," Rory called as she entered the apartment, not seeing him in the kitchen, "Jess?"

"Upstairs," he called, "Hey."

"Hi!" she said kissing him before taking a spot on his lap when he pulled his chair out from his desk, "You busy?"

"Not really. I'm stuck for the moment so I was just about to take a break and get dinner started," he told her, "What's up?"

"Do you have big plans for this weekend?" she asked.

"This weekend? Our anniversary?" he questioned, "We have been together for a year now so yeah, I was kind of planning on us doing something, why?"

"The whole weekend?"

"It doesn't have to be the whole weekend, no. What's going on, Rory?"

"There's a city council meeting Saturday and the reporter that was supposed to cover it has a family emergency so Michael offered it to me."

"That's great, Rory."

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely, I'm so proud of you. This is a big deal, right? The first council meeting of the year."

"I hope so. So you're okay with this?"

"Of course," he told her giving her a kiss on the cheek, "How about this, Saturday morning I'll cook you breakfast, you'll go to the meeting in the afternoon and while you're writing up your article I'll cook us up a nice dinner."

"Then Sunday we go out?" she asked, "It is our actual anniversary, after all."

"Sunday we'll go out. How about brunch at Sabrina's and then we can walk around Drexel a bit. You haven't seen much of the campus. It's really nice and then if we bundle up enough we can do a late picnic at the park," he suggested.

"Sounds perfect," Rory said wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling her to him for a kiss.

Deepening it Jess bit her bottom lip and coaxed her mouth open with his tongue as he licked the spot he just bit. Holding onto her with one arm wrapped around her waist he pushed aside the few things on his desk to one end before lifting her up to place her on top of it; his mouth never leaving hers.

"About that dinner you were planning on making," Rory said pulling away from him slightly, "I think it can wait."

"I couldn't agree more," he told her, standing up with her in his arms, her legs wrapped around him as he carried her to their bedroom.

They started slow, teasing each other with light kisses as they lay wrapped up in each others arms; taking turns to bite and suck on the others sweet spots. Rory, she loved when Jess would kiss and lick from her collarbone, up to her neck and to just below her left ear. She loved as he took his time kissing and sucking at the skin behind her left earlobe before biting the earlobe itself. For Jess, he loved the feeling of Rory's tongue grazing across the right side of his neck after she nipped at the skin just below his chin.

"Hmm," Rory mumbled as Jess kissed her neck and reached under her shirt to unclasp her bra, "I love you so much, Jess."

Pulling back from her slightly, Jess looked her in the eyes, "I love you, too, Ror!"

* * *

"How was your anniversary or do I not want to know?" Lorelai asked Rory when her and Jess came into Stars Hollow the following week.

"It was good," Rory told her.

"Dirty?" she asked.

"Parts of it," Rory said with a slight blush.

"Okay, that you can keep to yourself, but how was everything else? What did you do? What did he get you?" Lorelai asked.

"Well you know I had that story to write."

"Yeah, you covered the council meeting. How was that?"

"Really good. The meeting was interesting and Michael really liked my article."

"That's great. So what did you and Jess do on Sunday then? I imagine most of Saturday was devoted to the article."

"It was. Though Jess did make breakfast for me before I went to the meeting and made us a nice dinner. Sunday we went to Sabrina's for brunch and then walked around Drexel a bit."

"Very nice."

"Then we got takeout from Osteria, which was where we had our first date last year. We took our food to the park where he asked me to be his girlfriend and had a little picnic."

"So sweet, but what about the goods? I know you got him a watch, but what did he get you?"

"You really haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"My necklace is new," Rory told her, pulling on the chain to put it better in Lorelai's view.

"Oooh, pretty. It matches your bracelet," Lorelai told her, "So Jess has become a frequent purchaser of the little blue box?"

"I wouldn't say frequent. He's bought me two things from there," Rory said.

"As far as you know," Lorelai said.

"What else would he buy?" Rory asked.

"I don't know, a ring maybe. You have been together for a year and you've known each other for eight," Lorelai told her.

"That may be true, but no," Rory said.

"No?"

"We've talked about this. We got the apartment we did with a future together in mind, but we're not ready for that yet."

"Okay."

"So, are you ready to tell Grandma and Grandpa about the baby?"

"Not really. I may be married this time, but I don't know. I still feel like they'll find a way to not be happy about it. Like they'll be mad I waited this long to tell them."

"Most people wait twelve weeks and you only found out six weeks ago. They were out of town and have been for most of the past month. It's not like you could just tell them over the phone. Grandma would really hate that."

"Right. I'm glad you and Jess came to town for dinner. I appreciate it so much, kid."

"Anytime, Mom."

* * *

After dinner with the grandparents, who Lorelai was both surprised and happy to discover they were excited about being grandparents again, Rory and Jess went back to Philly. Richard and Emily only questioned if Lorelai was doing everything she could to take care of herself since she was quite a bit older now than she was when she had Rory. Luke assured them that he was making sure of it. She was eating food that was good for her, both at Luke's insistence and because she craved a lot of it. He had also cut down her coffee intake. She couldn't be convinced to give it up entirely but Luke agreed once her doctor assured him that a small cup, a couple of times a week would be okay.

"You get ready for bed and I'll set the timer on the coffee pot," Jess told Rory when they arrived back at their apartment late Saturday night after the dinner at the Gilmore's.

"Sounds good. I'm going to jump in the shower. I don't want have to worry about it tomorrow," she told him. They only came back to Philly that night because Rory had an interview early in the morning for the paper, "Join me when you're done?"

"Absolutely. I'll be up in a minute," Jess told her, kissing her before she went upstairs.

"Did I tell you Mom loved the necklace you got me?" Rory asked as they lay in bed that night after their shower.

"No, she liked it?" Jess asked.

"Yep, she was pretty excited that you've become a frequent shopper at Tiffany's," she told him.

"I've bought you a bracelet and a necklace," he said, "I'd hardly call that frequent."

"That's what I said, but she added that you may have or will at some point by a third piece of jewelry from there," Rory said.

"I'm guessing she suggested a ring?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"To which you said?"

"I told her that while we got this apartment with a future together in mind, we're not ready for that step."

"But, you think about though, right?"

"Since I've already been proposed to once, yeah the thought has crossed my mind."

"With me, though?"

"Yeah, it has crossed my mind a few times."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really, you?"

"More times than I ever thought I would."

"And does that freak you out?"

"Not at all. I wouldn't say I'm at the point where I'm ready to ask you or anything, but in an abstract sort of way…"

"It's a nice idea."

"Yeah."

"I think so, too."

"I love you, you know."

"I love you, too."

* * *

A week after Rory and Jess went to Stars Hollow for dinner with the Gilmore's it was Valentine's Day. They decided to stay home for the holiday this time. Jess had been giving Rory some more cooking tips and the two of them decided to stay in and cook dinner together. After a delicious home cooked steak dinner they exchanged their gifts. This year they both got each other first editions; Jess got Rory a first edition of Jane Austen's _Emma_ and Rory got Jess a first edition of J.D. Salinger's _The Catcher in the Rye._

"Movie?" Jess asked.

"Can we watch _Sabrina_?" Rory asked.

"Sure. You grab the movie and I'll get us another bottle of wine," he told her.

Halfway through the movie as they lay cuddled up together on the couch, Rory laying in front of Jess with him in between her and the back of the couch, Jess began planting kisses along her neck and jawline and behind her left ear. It was when he took her earlobe into his mouth, lightly biting and sucking on it that Rory began to moan and squirm as she reacted to Jess.

"Jess, I'm trying to watch this movie," she told him, turning to face him, but with access to her mouth now he crashed his lips to hers, nibbling on her lower lip before forcing her mouth open with his tongue. When he needed air he moved his lips back to her neck, "Jess I really am trying to watch this movie."

"Rory, I'm doing some of my best work here and you're talking right through it," he said removing his lips from her neck briefly before attaching himself to her lips once more.

"Okay, I guess the movie can wait," Rory said taking a turn kissing his neck, pushing on his shoulders so she was laying on top of him. As she continued sucking on his neck she sat up so she was sitting on his waist with one leg on either side of his body. She placed her hands underneath his shirt, pushing it up, kissing his stomach and chest as she pulled it up over his head, "I love you, Dodger."

"I love you, too, Book Tease," he told her, flipping them over so he could make work of her shirt, "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Jess."

* * *

A few weeks after Valentine's Day, Lorelai was eighteen weeks pregnant and Rory was anxiously awaiting the phone call from her telling her if she was going to have a baby brother or baby sister.

"Why hasn't she called yet?" Rory asked as she paced their living room.

"My guess is because it's one and her appointment was at twelve-thirty so it's either still going on or they were running late," Jess told her, "Relax. She'll call you as soon as she knows."

"I wish I didn't have to work this weekend so we could have been there when they found out," she told him finally stopping her pacing to sit at the kitchen counter.

"I know. We'll go down next weekend," he said coming up behind her, wrapping his arms around her, "We'll go next weekend and you can shower Luke and Lorelai with baby gifts."

"Is that your way of saying you'll go shopping with me this week to get stuff once we know if it's a boy or a girl?" Rory asked him, turning in his arms.

"Yes, I'll go and help you pick out stuff for the baby," Jess told her, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you," Rory said leaning up to kiss his lips.

"You're welcome," he said, "Now how about I distract you with some lunch while you wait for your mom to call, huh?"

"Absolutely. I'm starved."

* * *

Half an hour later they had finished their lunch and were putting their dishes in the dishwasher when Rory's phone rang.

"Boy or girl?" Rory asked when she saw it was her mom calling.

"Wow, no quippy Gilmore greeting or even a hello?" Lorelai asked.

"Sorry, I'll try again," Rory said, "Ring, ring. Rory's house of Philadelphia Love. How are you Mom?"

"I'm good, kid," Lorelai said.

"Great now is that going to be brotherly or sisterly love?" Rory asked.

"Well, we went to the doctor and it took a bit of time. Our little one was a little shy at first for the ultrasound."

"But, eventually revealed him or herself?"

"Yes, the baby eventually revealed itself to us."

"Okay, stop saying baby and it and please tell me. I'm dying here."

"Well, Ror, Thing 3 definitely has a thing. You're going to have a little brother."

"Oh, Mom! That's amazing. You and Luke are having a boy. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, kid. We're excited," Lorelai told her, "You and Jess are coming up next week, right?"

"Yeah, we'll be there," Rory said.

"Great. I've got a copy of the sonogram for you so I'll give it to you then," Lorelai said.

"Awesome. I can't wait," Rory told her, "Well, I hate to cut this short Mom, but I've got to get ready. I'm covering a lecture at Drexel tonight."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later, Sweets," Lorelai told her.

"Bye, Mom," Rory said.

* * *

 **AN:** Another chapter done. Luke and Lorelai are having a boy. I decided since she has Rory and he has April that together they should have a boy. There is also an addition to the Deleted Scenes for this story. Happy reading!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: "Yeah, that's today, Mom. Jess and I kissed for the first time eight years ago today. Do you think he remembers?"

* * *

The week after Lorelai and Luke found out they were having a boy Rory and Jess went down to Stars Hollow for the weekend to share in their delight, but over the next few weeks were so busy with work they were unable to make any more trips there so Jess talked Rory into taking a few vacation days in May so they could spend some time there visiting everyone.

"Ror are you ready to go?" Jess called up to her as he set their bags near the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she said as she came downstairs with her computer bag and purse on her shoulder, "Remind me again why we're going in the middle of the week and why we're leaving so early? It's not like we're trying to make it in time for Friday Night Dinner."

"We're going in the middle of the week so we have more time to spend with everyone and we're leaving now, not that's it's early because I thought we'd stop in the city first and maybe have lunch," Jess told her.

"Sounds good. Where were you planning to stop?" Rory asked.

"I know a place," he told her grabbing a suitcase with one hand and interlacing his fingers with hers with the other.

As it was nearing eleven o'clock they arrived in New York and found a place to park the car so they could walk around the city. They stopped first to get Rory a cup of coffee before walking to the spot Jess chose for lunch.

"Are we getting close, Jess? I'm starving," Rory told him as they walked hand in hand down the streets of New York City.

"Almost there," he told.

"Good and I better like this place with all the walking you're making me do," she said.

"You're going to love it Ror, trust me," he said, giving her hand a squeeze and kissing the side of her head as they approached the spot he had chosen for lunch.

"A hot dog stand?" she questioned, a little confused. She didn't mind hot dogs, but with Jess planning to stop in the city for lunch before they left she assumed they would be stopping at a restaurant he had made reservations at or getting another picnic lunch to take to their park.

"Yep. Two with everything," he told the hot dog vendor, "You don't recognize where we are?"

"Should I?" Rory asked looking around. She noticed a pizza place behind them and a flower stand a few buildings down. She hadn't been to this part of the city in eight years, but standing on that corner with Jess, it all came back to her, "This isn't the same cart?"

"Try it," Jess told her, handing her the hot dog the vendor had just handed him.

"It tastes exactly the same, Jess. I don't believe. How?" she questioned as they walked towards Washington Square Park.

"I knew the spot where the cart was and I did some asking around to find the same guy that ran the cart we went to when you ditched school to come see me eight years ago."

"Wow! You know that was this month, right? It was Mom's graduation and then a week later was Sookie's wedding and you moved back to Stars Hollow."

"I did know that. Why do you think I chose to stop here?"

"You're such a softie."

"Yeah, yeah. Come one, let's sit a bit and I'll read to you."

"What book?"

"Oh, I was thinking maybe a couple chapters of this," he said pulling out a completed and printed copy of _Small Town, Life!_

"You finished it?" Rory asked, "I can't believe it. When? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise. I finished the last of it when we went to Stars Hollow in March," he told her.

"Well, let's not waste anymore time. Get to reading," she said, snuggling into his side under the tree next to their bench.

"Alright. Two chapters," he said, placing an arm around her, "then we're back on the road. I'll read more to you later."

"I can't just read it on the way?" she asked.

"Nope. There is a specific way I want you to read this book," he explained.

"Okay."

* * *

After reading two chapters and getting Rory another cup of coffee, Rory and Jess were back on the road towards Stars Hollow.

"Thoughts so far?" Jess asked as they got back on the road.

"On the book or this trip?" she questioned.

"Hmm, I guess both," Jess said.

"Well, this trip just started, but so far so good. I love that you remembered the hot dogs. That was incredibly sweet," Rory said, "And the book...I think it may just be your best yet and I've only heard two chapters."

"Really? Best yet? Huh. All downhill from here then," he said.

"Neh, you've still got a lot of incredible words in that brain of yours," she told him.

"As long as my muse is always by my side, definitely," Jess said, reaching over to take her hand and kiss the back of it.

"Well if that wasn't the sappiest thing you've ever said, I don't know what is," Rory said, interlacing their fingers after kissing the back of his hand, "I love you Jess."

"I love you, too, Rory."

* * *

"Did you forget where Mom and Luke live?" Rory asked, noticing Jess had turned down the street heading for The Dragonfly instead of her mother's house.

"No, I didn't forget where they lived or the way to Luke's before you ask," he said knowing she'd question why they weren't headed to one of those locations as they always stayed at one of them when they came to Stars Hollow, "I got us a room at the inn."

"Why? We can stay at the diner or Mom's for free. Why spend money on a room at the inn?" Rory asked.

"I thought it would be nice to do something different and it's your Mom's inn. Do you really think I'm paying anything for it?" Jess asked her.

"Mom is willingly giving us a room? We're staying until Sunday. Surely this room could be used for a paying guest," Rory said.

"True, it could. I did offer to pay for it, but she said and I quote, "Having my offspring and the hoodlum boyfriend of said offspring home after many months away is payment enough." You're mother is insane," Jess said.

"Insane, hormonal. Same thing," Rory said with a laugh, "I guess it's sweet that she wants to do this for us. And incredibly romantic of you to want to get us a room at the inn."

"Eh, it's no big deal, really," Jess said as they arrived at the inn.

* * *

"Mom?" Rory called as they walked into the inn.

"I'll get our room keys and take our stuff up. You go find your Mom," Jess told her.

"Mom?" Rory called again as she walked into the kitchen to look for her, "Hey! Wow! Look at you."

"I know, I'm huge," Lorelai said as she hugged Rory who stepped back when she felt a small nudge coming from Lorelai's stomach when they hugged.

"Was that?" Rory asked.

"Your brother? Yeah," she told her.

"That's so cool," Rory said, placing a hand on Lorelai's stomach to feel a few more kicks, "He's got a good set of legs. Do you and Luke have a name picked out yet?"

"Well Luke hasn't said it, but I'm sure he wants to honor his father," Lorelai said.

"So, William?" Rory asked.

"I was thinking maybe for the middle name, but so far that's all I've come up with."

"I like it. Now you just need a first name that goes will William Danes."

"Yeah, but we've got a couple more months yet."

"True. Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Where is Sookie?" Rory asked, noticing she wasn't in the kitchen like usual.

"I told her to take the day off," Lorelai told her.

"Why?" Rory asked.

"Her anniversary," Lorelai said.

"That's today?" Rory wondered.

"You were there, kid. Don't you remember?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, I guess I just hadn't realized it was the nineteenth, already. Wow! I can't believe they've been married for eight years," Rory said.

"Yep, eight years today. So what have you and Jess been up to today?" Lorelai asked.

"We stopped in New York on our way here and had hot dogs. Then we sat in the park and he read me a couple chapters of his new book," Rory told her.

"Hot dogs? You have all this money now and you ate hot dogs?"

"Yeah, from this little stand where we got them that time I went to see him in New York."

"When you missed my graduation?"

"Yeah, I'm still really sorry about that."

"Eh, it was a long time ago. I've over it. So he took you to a hot dog stand like he did when you were seventeen?"

"Not like it, it was the same one."

"Really?"

"Really. He tracked down the guy and got him to set up in the exact same spot. It was perfect. It was exactly as I remembered it eight…"

"What?"

"That was eight years ago. Your graduation was right before Sookie's wedding."

"Uh, huh. I remember."

"You know what else happened the day Sookie got married?"

"Well, there was all that drama with your Dad, but I don't think that's what you're talking about, is it?"

"No, do you remember me telling you about kissing Jess when I came back from Washington?"

"You said he moved back and you kissed at, at Sookie's wedding. Wow!"

"Yeah, that's today, Mom. Jess and I kissed for the first time eight years ago today. Do you think he remembers?"

"Oh, kid of course he does. Who could ever forget kissing a Gilmore Girl?"

"Good point. Alright, well I'm going to go find Jess and see what else he has planned for us."

"Okay, I'll see you later, sweets."

* * *

"Luke's?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Lorelai? Are you alright?" Luke asked, "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine. I'll probably be by a little later, but I wanted to let you know that Rory and Jess arrived a little while ago," Lorelai said.

"They're here earlier than normal," Luke said.

"Yeah, they stopped in the city for lunch. Jess took Rory back to this hot dog stand he took her to when they were kids," she told him.

"Wow, that's unnaturally sentimental of him," Luke said.

"I know and not only that Rory reminded me of another piece of their history."

"What's that?"

"Well, you know Sookie's anniversary is today?"

"Yeah, and the day of the wedding was they day Jess moved back."

"Right, but did you know he came to the inn that day and talked to Rory?"

"He crashed Sookie's wedding?"

"Not exactly. He just sort of showed up and Rory saw him. The two of them talked. He told her he was moving back and she kissed him," Lorelai told him, "Which leads me to believe that today might very well be the day."

"What day?" Luke asked.

"The day, he, you know," Lorelai explained.

"Oh. Oh!" Luke said, "You really think so?"

"It explains why they came today and so early in the day, too. The wedding was in the afternoon so maybe he wants to do at the same time as their first kiss, you know," Lorelai said.

"That's possible. I guess now we just have to wait though until they tell us," Luke said.

"I guess. Alright, I've got to get back to work. I'll see you later. Love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

"Jess have you completely forgotten your way around Stars Hollow?" Rory asked.

"No, of course not. Why do you ask?" he questioned.

"Because the bridge is the complete opposite way from where we're headed," she told him.

"Who said anything about going to the bridge?" Jess asked.

"Well, we always go to the bridge. It's where we read and you've got the whole rest of the book still to read to me," Rory said.

"True, and we'll get to the book. There's just one other place I'd like to go to first," Jess told her.

"And where exactly is that?" she wondered.

"You'll see when we get there," he said.

"Jess, the only thing that's in this direction is the…" she began, but stopped when the remnants of the Independence Inn were in sight, "the inn. Jess what are we doing here?"

"Recreating another piece of our history. Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the tree next to the lake where she initiated their first kiss eight years ago.

"Oh, Jess. I can't believe... How?" she asked seeing the blanket and picnic basket set up under the tree.

"I snuck out while you were talking to Lorelai. It was already to go, I just had to bring it here," he said, taking a seat on the blanket and pouring them both a glass of champagne, "To us."

"To us!" Rory agreed.

"When I first moved here I didn't want to like it. In fact I hated it for the most part, with one notable exception."

"Me."

"Yes, you were that one exception. You made living here not so bad. You've made visiting here pretty good, too. I think I almost enjoy it now, even."

"Almost, please. You like coming here and seeing Mom and Luke and you know it. Besides, this trip was your idea, remember?"

"True. It was."

"Right, now how about the rest of that book?"

"Okay, but first I need to say something about it," he told her.

"What's that?" Rory asked.

"While this is a printed copy, it's not complete," he said.

"It's not?" she asked.

"No, it's almost complete. I just have to tweak the ending and I sort of need your help with that," Jess said taking a few pages out of his pocket.

"My help?" she asked.

"I wrote the last chapter a few months ago. The words appeared in my head so I got them down. This chapter isn't in the printed version. I wrote this chapter for you, but if it's okay, I'd like to include it in the book," he said handing her the pages.

As Rory read the words on the pages Jess handed her, he took this time to get his heart rate back under control. He was nervous. Of all the words he'd written to her, for her, and because of her, these were the most personal, but were also the easiest to write. The moment he thought them they just flowed.

" _As they sat together in the place he felt they began; the place they first acknowledged their feelings; where she gave him the greatest first kiss he ever could have imagined, he looked into her eyes as he told her how much she's always meant to him_ ," Rory began, as she read the last paragraph out loud, " _He let her go once before and from the moment she came back into his life he knew he never wanted to let her go again_."

 _"I love you so much, Lexi."_

 _"I love you, too, Will!"_

 _"Will you marry me?"_

"Woah," Rory said, terrified to take her eyes off the page.

"Rory, look at me," Jess said as he knelt in front of her, taking her hand in his, "I love you."

"I love, you, too, Jess," she said, finally looking up at him with tears in her eyes as she took in the sight of him kneeling before her with the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen.

"Will you marry me?" he asked her.

"Yes. Absolutely. Yes," she said as he slipped the ring onto her finger before crashing his lips to hers, "I love you, Dodger."

"I love you, too, Book Tease," Jess said.

"I guess you were waiting for my answer so you could give Lexi the right one?" she asked.

"Yeah. I was hoping you'd say yes, but I didn't want to write it until I knew for sure," he said, "You like the ending?"

"It's perfect," she said, "This ring is perfect. And you're perfect."

"Well, I don't know about me, but the ring yeah, It's the perfect ring for you."

"Another trip to Tiffany's, huh?"

"It is one of your favorite movies."

"True. And it really is beautiful. I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

* * *

After finishing their picnic at the inn Rory and Jess walked to the bridge where he read her a few more chapters of _Small Town, Life!_ before they went to the house to share their good news with Luke and Lorelai.

"Mom!" Rory yelled as she ran into the house, "You'll never guess what happened!"

"What happened?" Lorelai asked, trying to hide her smile.

"This!" she exclaimed, showing her the two carat diamond and platinum, Tiffany Harmony ring that now resided on her finger.

"Wow! That's some ring," Lorelai said, "Excellent work Jess. Congratulations."

"You knew!"

"Of course I knew. We both did."

"Really?"

"Really, Ror. I asked Luke and your Mom for their blessing."

"Yeah, and Sookie prepared your picnic before she went off with Jackson."

"You really went all out for this, didn't you?" Rory asked Jess.

"Anything for you," he told her, kissing her on the cheek.

"Bleh, I think I'm going to hurl and it's not because I'm pregnant," Lorelai said.

"Sorry, Mom," Rory said.

"Yeah, sorry Lorelai, we'll try to keep the cutesy stuff to a minimum," Jess said.

"That's all I ask."

* * *

After spending the night of their engagement at the Dragonfly, Rory and Jess spent the rest of the weekend in Luke's old apartment. When Rory shared the news with Lane the two bounced with excitement. At Friday Night Dinner with the Gilmore's' they shared the good news with Richard and Emily. While Richard offered his congratulations, Emily went into planning mode.

"Do you know when the wedding is going to be?" Emily asked.

"We've barely been engaged for forty-eight hours Grandma. We haven't given it any thought yet," Rory told her.

"How long does it take to decide the wedding is going to be in Stars Hollow?" Jess asked.

"Stars Hollow, really?" Rory wondered.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd consider anything else," Jess said, "Either the spot where I proposed or the bridge, maybe."

"The bridge would be perfect," Rory said leaning over to give him a kiss.

"Alright, so you've got a location," Emily said, "I'm not entirely sure where it is. I don't remember a bridge from my trips to Stars Hollow, but I'm sure it's lovely."

"It's wonderful, Grandma," Rory told her, "It's incredibly beautiful and filled with so many wonderful memories."

"It's the perfect place for us to get married," Jess said.

"Wonderful. Now we just need a date and we can get the rest of the planning started," Emily said.

"We'll think about it and get back to you Grandma," Rory said.

"Yeah, Mom, they just got engaged. Let them enjoy that before you go shoving wedding plans down their throats," Lorelai said.

"I'm only trying to help, Lorelai. After all I did help plan your wedding," Emily said.

"And I appreciate that, Grandma," Rory said, "But, I would like time to just enjoy being engaged before being overwhelmed with dates, dress fittings, and china patterns."

"Alright. I'll back off for now, but that's not going to stop me from thinking of ideas and saving them for when you're ready to hear them," she said.

"I look forward to it," Rory told her.

After dinner with the Gilmore's on Friday, Rory and Jess drove out to Boston on Saturday so they could tell Christopher and Gigi as well as Paris and Doyle. When they came back Saturday night they decided to share their good news at the town meeting to let everyone know at once. They also informed Taylor they wanted to get married in town, at the bridge and would let him know for sure when soon so he could approve whatever permits he thought they needed.

Sunday afternoon, they were back in Philadelphia. After unpacking, they headed out to have dinner with their friends so they could share the good news with them.

* * *

 **AN:** And we have an engagement! And a middle name for the baby. I didn't want to call the baby William because it's what a lot of people use so I decided to use it as a middle name. Any ideas for a first name?


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: "Good because the last thing I need is for Luke to find out what when on in and out of that plaid skirt."

* * *

Arriving back at their apartment in Philly as an engaged couple was the greatest feeling Rory had ever felt. Lorelai had been right after she turned down Logan's proposal. When she read Jess' words, she knew they were for her as well as Lexi. She wanted to say "Yes" the second she read the question, but waited for Jess to say the words himself. Seeing the words on paper, hearing him say them, the love in his eyes; there was no hesitation, no thinking it over as she had done with Logan. Jess was it for her and she couldn't be happier.

"You got the ending the way you want it now?" Rory asked coming into the office after work one evening.

"Yep, Lexi's answer is in. I also added in a dedication," Jess told her.

"You didn't have one before?" Rory asked.

"Nope. I was waiting for your answer so I could dedicate it to my lovely fiancee," he told her, taking her hand and pulling her down into his lap.

"That's sweet. Thank you," she said, putting an arm around his neck and kissing him briefly before pulling back, "So, new book. That means new book tour doesn't it?"

"Yes, but not for awhile. It's still going to be a few more weeks before the book is printed and ready to be in stores. Neal's working with places to set up dates for the tour, but most places have things already scheduled for next couple of months so it will still be awhile," he told her.

"Good, I don't like it when we're apart," Rory said.

"I know you don't. I don't care for it myself," Jess said, "But it's the nature of our jobs. We both chose careers that may and do on occasion require some travel. I had a thought for this tour that could make it better though."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" she asked.

"You should come with me," he told her.

"Are you serious? You really want me to come with you?" she wondered.

"Of course. This is as much your story as it is mine. Ever since I wrote the first one I've had people asking me about the real Lexi," he said, "They'll be excited to meet you. And I'd love to have you with me. If you want to and if your editor is okay with you being gone for however long it will be."

"I'd love to," Rory said, giving him another kiss, "I'll talk to Michael. Maybe if I can find a way to make it a work thing he'll be okay with me being gone for a few weeks."

"That's not a bad idea. You can write about the signings or just the cities in general or whatever. I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something," Jess said.

* * *

Going to work the next day, Rory talked to Michael about her possibly joining Jess on his book tour. They didn't have a publication date for the book yet, so they didn't know when the tour would start, but she liked the idea of joining him and hoped he would be up for letting her go. The Jess Mariano fans around the newsroom were ecstatic when Rory showed up to work with a ring on her finger when they came back from Stars Hollow. While happy for Rory and Jess, they knew that with a happy ending for Rory and Jess, that meant Will and Lexi would have one, too.

Finishing up early that day, Rory stopped at Truncheon before heading home, "Hey guys," she greeted Matt and Chris when she entered.

"Hey, Ror," Matt said, giving her a hug after she greeted Chris in a similar fashion.

"Where's Jess?" she asked them.

"Right here," he told her, coming out of the back storeroom, carrying a box of books that needed to be displayed, "What are you doing here?"

"I finished early and thought I'd say "Hi" before I went home," Rory said, giving him a kiss once he had set down the box of books, "Plus I wanted to talk to you about the conversation I had with Michael today."

"You talked to him about the book tour?" Jess asked.

"Yep and he's cool with me going with you as long as I continue to write and email in some stories," she said.

"That's great. What are you going to write about?" he asked.

"No idea. We talked about me maybe doing some type of blog or something for the website. Something I could post myself for the paper instead of having to email an article back and forth to be printed."

"So sort of like what you did for Hugo, but you would post it yourself."

"Yeah. I'm leaning more towards the blog idea. I could set it up myself and write about the cities we visit or interview your fans or something. It would be a separate site, but they would set it up so there's a link to it or a posting of it on the paper's website."

"I like it. It will keep you writing for the paper without actually writing directly for the paper and maybe even give you a bigger following than what you've already got."

"I don't have a following."

"Are you kidding me? A ton of people read your articles. You have fans, Ror. Haven't you ever read the comments on your articles online?"

"No, why have you?"

"All the time. I like to know what people are saying about you. You've got a lot of people reading, just because it's you doing the writing. They read your articles on the campaign and now they're reading whatever your write about Philly even though they live across the country."

"Wow. I had no idea."

"I know you didn't. You love telling me all about the fans I have, but you're oblivious to your own."

"True. Alright. I'm going to head home so you guys can get back to work."

"Okay. Do you want to pick up dinner?"

"No, I feel like cooking."

"Something simple right? I don't want you burning down the apartment building."

"Funny. I've gotten better, but yes it will be simple. Probably just some pasta or something."

"Alright. I'll see you later," Jess said before giving her a kiss, "I love you."

"Love you, too," Rory said before returning the kiss, "Bye guys."

"See ya, Rory," Chris said.

"Bye," Matt told her, turning to Jess after she left, "Lucky bastard."

"What?" Jess asked.

"You've got the hottest girl in the world living with you. She agreed to marry your sorry ass and now she's going to have dinner ready when you get home. You've got it made, man," Matt said.

"And she's a damn fine writer herself on top of that. She's perfect," Chris said, "What the hell is she doing with you?"

"I ask myself that everyday and hope she never realizes she's too good for me," Jess told them.

"Rory would never think that and you know it. We may joke about it, but you two are perfect for each other. I couldn't imagine any two people could be more perfectly suited for each other than you and Rory," Matt said.

"Well, thanks. That mean's a lot," Jess said, "And we haven't narrowed down when yet, but when we do get married I'd like you both to be part of it. I'm going to ask Luke to be my best man, but I'd like it if you both stood up there with me."

"We'd be honored," Chris said.

"Absolutely," Matt said, "Any idea who Rory's going to have?"

"I'm sure she'll have Lorelai as her matron of honor, but that's all I know for sure. Mostly likely she'll have Lane and Paris since she's been friends with them the longest, but she may want to include April and possible Kara and Lacey, but I don't know. We haven't talked about it yet."

* * *

A couple weeks after their engagement Jess' book had gone through all its final editing and was ready for printing with a release date set for July sixth, two days before Jess' twenty-sixth birthday. It was going to be a busy week for them. They were going to have a launch party at Truncheon the day of its release, celebrate Jess' birthday on the eighth, and after work on the ninth Rory and Jess were driving into Stars Hollow to be there for Lorelai's baby shower that Saturday. Baby Boy Danes is set to make his arrival a month after the shower and on the first of September, Rory and Jess are are leaving for the beginning of the book tour for _Small Town, Life!_

"Rory, why are reading that book again?" Jess asked as they drove to Stars Hollow the night before the baby shower.

"Why did I see you reading my article about the launch party again this morning?" she asked.

"Fair enough," he said, "It's never going to stop is it?"

"What?" Rory asked.

"Loving what the other writes so much we read it every chance we get."

"I hope not. I love your words, Jess. I could never tire of them."

"Me either. You're an amazing journalist, Rory."

"Thank you."

As they continued on the road they talked about Jess' birthday celebration the night before. Unlike the previous year when Rory invited all their family and friends for a surprise party, they kept this one to just them and their Philly friends. Rory and Jess along with Matt, Chris, Kara, and Lacey went out to a bar after work that had good deals on drinks including two dollars shots, but what excited Rory the most was that Thursday was Karaoke night. She knew Jess would never get up and sing anything, but since it was his birthday she wanted to do something special for him.

"What are you thinking about?" Rory asked when they were just a few miles away from Stars Hollow after noticing he'd been quiet for awhile.

"You. Last night," he told her.

"Oh really," she said, blushing as she remembered the dance she did along with the song she chose.

"Yeah. I still can't believe you did that or that you still have your Chilton uniform for that matter," Jess said.

"I had to have Mom look for it in my closet in my old room. She was thrilled when I told her what I needed it for," Rory said.

"You told her about that?" he asked.

"Sort of. I didn't tell her what all I had planned, just that I needed it for your birthday present," she said.

"Good. Though I'm sure once we tell her we did karaoke she'll figure out you wanted your uniform so you could serenade me with Britney Spears."

"True, but don't worry, she won't tease us about it with Luke present. She knows it makes him uncomfortable and would prefer to think I'm still a little girl so any teasing and mocking will only happen when he's not around."

"Good because the last thing I need is for Luke to find out what when on in and out of that plaid skirt."

"You know, I brought it with me if you want to relive some old memories."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We're staying above the diner. Why not recreate some old memories and make some new one's," she said reaching across the seat to run her hand along his thigh.

"It's a damn good thing we're close and we're getting in late," Jess said, his breathing growing shallow as she continued to rub circles up and down leg.

"And why is that?" she asked with a smirk that rivaled his.

"Because if we weren't able to go straight to bed when we got in I'd pull this car over and take you right now," Jess said and she stopped moving her hand, surprised at his words, "I never said you had to stop."

"If it's making you uncomfortable," Rory said.

"It's not. It's just going to be over real fast when we get upstairs," he told her as they pulled up outside the diner.

"How about I give you a minute to calm down and I'll go change," Rory said grabbing the bag with her uniform in it.

"Sounds good. I'll meet you up there and get the rest of our bags later," Jess said.

* * *

Saturday morning, Rory raced down the stairs into the diner after showering and getting dressed for her mother's baby shower. She hadn't seen her mother in nearly two months and was excited to see how big she had gotten as her baby brother continued to grow inside her.

"Hey, Luke," Rory said, giving him a hug, before taking a seat at the counter, "Where's Mom?"

"I'm here. I'm here," Lorelai said, coming from the bathroom, "Sorry to keep you waiting kid, but your brother just loves to kick my bladder. I missed you sweets."

"I missed you, too, Mom," Rory told her, hugging her the best she could as her baby brother kicked from inside Lorelai's belly between them, "Oh, hey baby brother. I guess you're excited I'm here, too."

"Oh definitely. I talk to him every night and tell him all about you," Lorelai said.

"Aww. That's sweet Mom," Rory said, "So, does baby brother have a name yet?"

"He does, but we're keeping it to ourselves for now. I'm actually thinking of waiting until he's born to announce it," she said.

"That has to be driving Grandma crazy," Rory said.

"Oh absolutely. She's insisting she can't pick out a proper gift without knowing what his name is first," Lorelai said, "I told her unless she planned on getting him monogrammed clothed diapers, his name didn't matter."

"So you're keeping it to yourself just to torture her?" Rory questioned.

"A little bit, yeah," Lorelai said, "though I do like having this one little secret that's just between me and Luke."

"That's great Mom. While I would love to know, I can wait if you want to keep this just between you guys," Rory said.

"Thank you. So, how'd the plaid skirt turn out?" Lorelai asked.

"Very well, thank you," Rory told her, a small blush forming on her cheeks.

"That good, huh?" Lorelai questioned, noticing the slight tinge of pink on Rory's face.

"Really good," Rory said, "I think I'll be holding on to that skirt for awhile."

* * *

After breakfast, Rory and Jess headed over to Miss Patty's to help Sookie, Liz, and April who was in town for the summer, set up for the baby shower. While Sookie organized the food and Liz was working on decorations Jess, Rory, and April got all the games and activities set up. They decided to stick with a classic from Lane's baby shower and have the guest design onesies for the baby. It was a fun hands-on activity for everyone at the party that would result in unique, individualized onesies in various sizes for the baby to wear.

Hours later when the party was in full swing, after the games had been played, food had been eaten, and onesies had been decorated, Lorelai was busy opening her presents. In addition to all the onesies decorated at the party there were several adorable outfits that Lorelai couldn't wait to see the baby in, including an infant sized flannel shirt, jeans, and baseball cap that Jess couldn't resist buying.

"It's the uniform," Jess said when Luke glared at him as Lorelai laughed, "He'll have to wear it sometime. May as well start him young."

"Well I think it's adorable," Rory said, holding the flannel shirt in front of her, "My baby brother is going to look so cute in this."

"Our baby brother," April reminded her, "And I agree. It's a cute outfit."

Besides the clothes there were tons of diapers, wipes, blankets, and washcloths. Luke and Lorelai got every thing the baby could or would every need except one thing. The only thing they didn't receive and Lorelai hadn't been able to decide on was a crib. When she left her parents house she had nothing so she didn't have a crib from Rory that she could use. Sookie and Lane had offered theirs, but Lorelai really wanted something special and new, but couldn't find one that was perfect.

"There is one more gift, Mom," Rory told her after she had opened the last present, "It's a little big so it's already at the house. How about you say goodbye to everyone and we'll head over there."

"Sounds good," Lorelai said as Luke helped her up from the chair so she could thank all her guests before getting into the car to go back to the house.

Rory was as excited as her Mom to see the present waiting for her at the house. While Rory and Jess were helping set up for the shower, Luke had enlisted Jackson and Zach's help to get his present for Lorelai ready so he could show it to her after the party.

"Now, I know it's going to be awhile before he's ready for it, but I wanted to do this," Luke said opening the door to what was once Rory's room.

"Oh Luke. I…" Lorelai began, but quickly stopped speaking as she couldn't talk through her tears, "You got a crib."

"Sort of. I made it," he told her, "You had been looking at the rest of furniture; the dresser and changing table, so I made the crib and the rocking chair to match."

"I love it, but this is…" Lorelai said.

"He asked first, Mom," Rory said.

"You did?" Lorelai questioned.

"Yeah. Even though she doesn't live here anymore, I wouldn't dream of changing Rory's room without her blessing first," Luke said.

"You're amazing, you know that," Lorelai told him, placing a hand on his cheek as she kissed him, "This is incredible. I love it."

The room was perfect. Rory was a little sad to see her room go, but it was time. It was the perfect place for her baby brother to grow up. With her and Jess staying at the diner most of the time when they visited anyway, she didn't need her room anymore. April was comfortable staying on the couch if she stayed at the house when she visited, but she also spent nights visiting her old friends or at Liz and TJ's and occasionally at the diner to give Luke and Lorelai time alone.

* * *

 **AN:** Alright another chapter down. Next chapter we meet Baby Boy Dane's and Jess begins his next book tour, but with Rory by his side this time. There is also a "deleted scene" for this chapter of what went on in and out of the plaid skirt up in the diner apartment. I'm also trying to write ahead a bit and I've come up with how I imagine Rory and Jess' wedding invitations to look, but I need a quote for it. I'm open to suggestions.


	23. Chapter 23

**AN:** I just wanted to say a big thank you to guest reviewer Nancy. Since you don't have an account I can't send you a message to thank you, but thanks for all your wonderful reviews! I really appreciate them.

Chapter 23: "Jess is already planning to marry our future daughter off to the son of a friend to avoid having to deal with her dating."

* * *

Four weeks after the baby shower Rory and Jess were woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of her cell phone ringing.

"Ugh, what is that?" Rory groaned, rolling over to snuggle closer to Jess, trying to ignore the sound and get back to the dream she was having.

"I think it's your phone," Jess said, moving away from her to grab her phone off the nightstand, "It's Luke."

"What? Luke?" she asked as she answered, more awake now realizing the only reason Luke would be calling at two in the morning would be because of Lorelai, "Is everything alright?"

"Your Mom's in labor. We just got to the hospital," he told her.

"She's a little early. Are you sure it's not…" Rory began, but was cut off by Luke.

"We're sure. She had a little back pain when we were going to bed and she thought that's all it was, but she woke up an hour ago feeling contractions and her water broke as soon as we got here," Luke said.

"Oh, wow. This is really happening," Rory said, "Okay, Luke, just try and stay calm. Relax. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Alright. You guys drive safe okay. The doctor said it could still be hours so there's no need to rush," he told her.

"Okay. We'll see you soon Luke. I love you," she told him.

"I love you, too, Rory," Luke said.

"Why don't you get dressed and get started on our bags. I'll get the coffee going and come back up to help," Jess said after Rory hung up the phone, "We'll make our calls to work in a few hours to tell them we won't be in today."

"Good thing we have the weekend off," Rory said as she grabbed their suitcases from the closet and began gathering clothes to put in them.

* * *

A few hours later Rory and Jess arrived in Hartford and made their way towards Lorelai's room. Already in the waiting room just down the hall were April, Liz, and Sookie.

"Did you leave the men at home?" Rory asked.

"Jackson's staying with the kids," Sookie said.

"All three of them?" Rory asked.

"TJ's joining him in a few hours once all the kids are up," Liz said.

"That's good. Two men with four kids will give them better odds of survival," Jess said.

"Oh, please, the kids aren't that bad," Rory said.

"An unexpected day without their mother's and the whole town going nuts over the birth of this baby; They're going to eat TJ and Jackson alive," Jess said.

"Rory, good, you're here," Luke said coming into the waiting room, "Lorelai's been asking for you if you want to go on in."

"Great. How are you doing, Luke?" Rory asked.

"I'm exhausted, but not nearly as much as Lorelai. She's doing a good job of hiding it though. They gave her something for the pain and she's dilated about halfway so hopefully it won't be too much longer," he told her.

"Good. Can I have a few minutes before you come back in?" Rory asked.

"Sure. I'll stay here for a bit," Luke said.

"How are you doing, Mom?" Rory asked, entering her room

"Rory! I'm so glad you're here," Lorelai said, "Come give me a hug."

"Me too," Rory said, sitting on the bed next to her to give her a hug, "How are you? Pelted any nurses yet?"

"I'm okay. The pain medicine is helping," Lorelai told her, "No pelting yet. So far your brother has been nicer than you. The pain's not as bad as it was with you."

"He's already competing with me, huh?" Rory wondered with a laugh.

"Seems like it. Five hours in and I'm further along than I was with you," Lorelai said.

"That's good and Luke's holding up okay? He seems to be," Rory said.

"Yeah, he's been amazing, kid," she said, "Is Jess with you?"

"Uh huh. He's in the waiting room with the others. Has anyone called Grandma and Grandpa?" Rory asked.

"Not yet. I didn't want to wake them up to early. You can call them now if you want," Lorelai said.

"I'll do that. I'll let you rest and go call them," she said.

"Thanks for being here, Ror," Lorelai said.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be, Mom," Rory said, kissing her cheek before she left, "I'll send Luke back in and come back after I call Grandma if you want."

"I'd like that."

* * *

After sending Luke back in to be with her mother, Rory grabbed Jess and went in search of coffee while she called her grandparents to let them know Lorelai was in labor.

"So, your Mom's doing alright?" Jess asked once she was off the phone with the Gilmore's.

"Yeah, she said she's feeling pretty good. I don't know if the pain medication they gave her is better than when she had me, but she said the contractions aren't as painful as they were with me," Rory told him.

"Well that's good. Are you going to head back in there?" he asked.

"Once I finish my coffee, yeah. I don't want to take it in there when Luke hasn't let her have any for the past month," Rory said.

"Good idea. So I guess it will just be me. The lone guy in the waiting room with my mother, Sookie, and April," Jess said.

"Oh, it can't be that bad. Sookie may be a little nutty, but you like April and you're getting along better with your mom," Rory said.

"True, but I may grab April and see if she wants to take a walk or something. Save the both of us from Liz and Sookie sharing their labor experiences with each other some more," Jess said.

"Good plan. I remember when Sookie went into labor with Martha," Rory said.

"And?"

"I totally freaked. And when Sherry was in labor with Gigi, I was the only one there with her until I called Mom because she was early and we couldn't get a hold of Dad."

"How are you feeling now?"

"Okay. The concept of what Mom is about to do still freaks me out a bit, but I know it's worth it to be here to see my baby brother right when he's born."

"And what about for yourself?"

"Are we seriously having this conversation?"

"Why not? We have to have it sometime. May as well talk about it while it's topical."

"Do you want kids, Jess?"

"For a long time I thought it would be a bad idea for me to be a father considering I didn't meet mine until I was eighteen and had no good examples of what a father should be for most of my life."

"But?"

"But, the more time I spend with Luke and see how he interacts with April and with us, too; I think I could do it," he told her, "I think someone that shares a little piece of the both of us would be an amazing thing to have."

"I do, too. I can just imagine a little mini Jess running around with unruly hair, stealing gnomes from people's gardens," Rory said.

"Well, yeah, I'd have to teach him all of my hoodlum ways," Jess said, "But I was thinking more of a little girl just like you, with your incredible blue eyes, dragging a book with her everywhere."

"And completely wrapped around your finger," she said.

"Of course. Who else is going to spoil my little princess?" Jess asked.

"Hmm, maybe perhaps her boyfriend," Rory stated.

"Nope," Jess said.

"What?" Rory wondered.

"Our daughter's not having a boyfriend," he stated.

"And you're going to stop that how?" Rory asked.

"Arrange her marriage to one of our friend's kids, duh," Jess said.

"You're insane. Not only are you giving us an imaginary daughter, you're already planning her future marriage to the imaginary son of one of our friends?" she questioned.

"Pretty much, yeah," he said.

"Alright, while you continue to plan our imaginary daughter's future, I'm going to go see what I can do to help Mom as she gives birth to her real life son," Rory said.

* * *

Another couple hours of labor later and Lorelai was fully dilated and ready to deliver her son. The waiting room had grown to include a good chunk of Stars Hollow as well as Richard and Emily. Those that weren't at the hospital awaiting the arrival of Baby Boy Danes had gathered inside Miss Patty's to await the news of his birth. Lorelai gave Rory the chance to go back to the waiting room, but knowing she would have to get over her slight fear and uneasiness at the idea of childbirth if her and Jess were going to have kids of their own someday, she decided to stick around and hold her Mother's hand along with Luke as they welcomed her little brother into the world.

"You're doing great, Lorelai," the doctor said, "I can see his head. One more big push and you'll have your son."

"Okay," she said, throwing her head back against the pillow behind her, exhausted, "One more push."

"You can do it, Mom," Rory said, giving her hand a squeeze, "We're right here with you."

"You're almost done, Lorelai. I'm so proud of you," Luke said kissing her forehead and squeezing her other hand.

"Okay, are you ready, Lorelai?" the doctor asked.

"Let's do it," she said, sitting up a bit and preparing herself to push.

"Alright, here comes another contraction. I need you to push," he told her.

"Oh!" she screamed, pushing as hard as she could, squeezing tight to Luke and Rory's hands, "It hurts. It really hurts."

"You've got this, Lorelai. We're almost there," Luke said just before they heard a soft cry.

"He's here. Our little boy is here," Lorelai said, trying to sit up further to see him, "Is he okay?"

"He's perfect," the doctor said, "Luke, do you want to cut the umbilical cord?"

"Absolutely," Luke said, taking the scissors from the doctor and cutting in the spot he was directed to.

"Okay, good. We'll get him cleaned up and then let you hold him," the doctor said.

"Wow. He's beautiful," Lorelai said as she looked down at the beautiful baby in her arms, kissing his little forehead, "I love you so much. And I love you."

"I love you, too, Lorelai," Luke said leaning over to kiss her.

"You want to hold him?" she asked.

"Of course," Luke said, taking the baby into his arms, "Wow, he's lighter than I thought he'd be."

"He's amazing, Mom," Rory said, "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks, kid. And thank you for being here with me," Lorelai said, "I know childbirth isn't exactly high on your list."

"I've got to get over it sometime, right?" Rory questioned.

"I guess. You're not?"

"No. But we talked about it."

"And?"

"Jess is already planning to marry our future daughter off to the son of a friend to avoid having to deal with her dating."

"He is going to be extremely overprotective, isn't he?"

"I think so."

"Rory, do you want to hold your brother?" Luke asked.

"Absolutely," Rory said as he handed the baby to her.

"I'm going to go let everyone know," Luke said, giving Lorelai another kiss.

"Okay and bring Jess and April back with you," Lorelai said, "What do you think, kid?"

"I think he's perfect," Rory said, "But I think it would also be nice if I knew what his name was."

"Can we come in?" April asked as she tentatively opened the door.

"Hey," Rory said, turning to face the new arrivals, "Come see our little brother. Mom was just about to tell me his name."

"He's so cute," April said.

"April, Rory. I'd like you to meet your brother, Hunter William Danes," Lorelai told him.

"Hunter? I like it," Rory said, "Maybe he'll be a journalist, too like Hunter Thompson."

"I had a feeling you'd like it," Lorelai said.

"I know William was Grandpa's name, but where did Hunter come from?" Jess asked, taking the baby from Rory for his turn before passing him off to April.

"Well, we couldn't decide so first I was reading a bunch of baby name books, but still couldn't decide," Lorelai said as April handed the baby back to her, "Then one day when I wasn't feeling too well I stayed home and there was a _Weeds_ marathon on."

"Hunter Parrish," April said.

"Who?" Jess asked.

"He's an actor. He plays one of the main characters," April said, "I've seen the show a few times."

"Right, I kept seeing his name in the credits and I really liked it. Then one night _Patch Adams_ was on," Lorelai told them.

"And the real life Patch Adams of course has the name Hunter," Jess said.

"Yes, and Luke as you know is a baseball fan," Lorelai said.

"So, Hunter Pence," Rory said and added after noticing the weird looks she was getting, "What?"

"Why do you know the name of a baseball player?" Lorelai asked.

"I work at a newspaper. I walk by the sports guys every day and occasionally hear them talking. The names tend to stick," Rory explained with a shrug.

"You are one strange kid, you know that," Lorelai told her.

"Yep. How about I go get Grandma and Grandpa. I'm sure they're getting restless waiting to come meet their grandson," Rory said.

"Sounds good. Thanks, Sweets," Lorelai said.

* * *

"Oh he is just perfect, Lorelai," Emily said when her and Richard came into the room to see their grandson, "And Luke said he was still a pretty good size even though he was a bit early."

"Yeah. Six pounds and nine ounces, twenty-two inches long. He's bigger than Rory was," Lorelai said.

"He's got a good strong name, too," Richard said, "Hunter William Danes. I love it. Maybe he'll grow up to be a journalist like his sister and Hunter Thompson."

"Rory said the same thing," Lorelai told him, "There's a lot of great men with a variety of careers named Hunter so I'm sure whatever he chooses will be great as long as it makes him happy."

"You're absolutely right. Now, I'm sure you're not going to like this, but your mother and I would like to set up an account for Hunter," Richard said, "We can give you full access to it now if you'd like or save it for when he's older like Rory's trust fund."

"When he's older is fine. That way when he has access to it he'll be old enough to decide for himself what to do with it," Lorelai said, "Thank you."

"It's our pleasure, dear," Emily said as she handed Hunter back to Lorelai, "We'll let you get some rest. We'll drop by later on this evening if that's alright."

"Sure. That's fine," Lorelai said trying to stifle a yawn, "Thanks for coming."

"We wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Richard told her, placing a kiss on the top of her head, "We're incredibly proud of you, Lorelai."

"Thank you, Daddy," Lorelai said as she fell asleep with her baby boy in her arms.

* * *

"When do you head back, April?" Rory asked as they waited for their food to arrive. They were getting hungry and wanted to leave Lorelai, Luke, and Hunter alone to rest and bond so Rory, Jess, and April went to the pizza place next to the hospital for a late lunch.

"Well, school starts on Monday, so technically I should be heading back on Sunday, but I'm sticking around for awhile to look at schools before I go back," April told her.

"That's great. Where are you looking?" Rory wondered.

"Mom's not too thrilled that I'm looking at school's on the east coast, but while I've gotten used to New Mexico, Connecticut will always be home," April said, "I've got tours scheduled for NYU and Columbia in New York, Trinity here in Hartford. Yale."

"Yale, really?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I'm going there Monday. Any chance you can stick around and join me? I'd love a tour from someone I know?" she asked.

"Jess, can we?" Rory asked.

"No problem. I'll call the guys and let them know we're staying a couple extra days and you call Michael," Jess said.

"Oh, that's great. I really appreciate it," April said, "I do have another favor to ask, though."

"And what's that?" Jess asked.

"I'm also applying to Drexel and Penn so I was wondering if I could stay with you guys for a couple of days while I looked at the school's?" April asked.

"Of course. You're always welcome, April," Jess told her.

"Thanks. That means a lot," April said.

"What's your major going to be?" Rory asked.

"Biochemistry. I want to work in a lab," she said.

"Are you applying to any schools closer to your mom?" Jess asked.

"Some. New Mexico State has a pretty good program and I'm also applying to Stanford, but I really want to go to a school here. The science camp I went to a few years ago had professors from different universities around here come and speak to us," April told them.

"Do you have a top pick?" Rory asked.

"Either Yale or NYU. I like feeling like sort of a legacy if I go to Yale and I really like a lot of the courses offered at NYU. Plus with all the museums in the city I could get some good hands-on experience in their science departments if I get a job or internship or something," April.

"Well, I would love it if you followed in my footsteps and went to Yale, but you should only go there if it's truly the right place for you," Rory said, "Go to the school that has the right courses for you, the best professors to teach you what you want. Choose the school that will make you the happiest to attend."

"I will. Thanks, Rory."

* * *

On Sunday, August eighth, two days after his birth, Hunter William Danes went home to Stars Hollow. The whole town was out with signs welcoming the new little family home as Luke drove them to the house. Rory, Jess, and April were ready and waiting for them to arrive; having cleaned the place up and prepared lunch for them to have when they arrived.

"Welcome home, Mom," Rory said as they walked him, "Do you want me to take him?"

"Sure, thanks you guys," Lorelai said, handing Hunter to Rory.

"We made lunch for you if you're hungry," April said.

"Yeah, relax, eat something. I'll take your stuff upstairs," Jess said.

"Thanks. You want me to fix you a plate, Lorelai?" Luke asked.

"Please. I just want to sit here for a bit. I'm too tired to make it upstairs," Lorelai said as she joined Rory on the couch.

"I'll be back in a bit," Jess said, kissing Rory on the cheek and placing a finger in Hunter's grasp before heading out to the truck to get their things.

"We'll be here," Rory said, smiling as she looked down at her brother in her arms.

"You look good with him, you know," Lorelai said.

"What?" Rory asked.

"You and Hunter. A baby looks good in your arms. Jess thinks so, too. You can see it in his eyes the way he was looking at you before he went outside. You guys are going to make great parents someday."

"Thanks, Mom. I hope so."

* * *

Monday, Jess stayed in Stars Hollow and helped out at the diner while Rory and April went to Yale. Rory loved showing April all her favorite places, the libraries, her old classrooms, and the unfortunate building that bore her name. April loved it. Part of the reason she was applying to Yale was because Rory went there, but after visiting and talking with a few professors she really liked it. Throughout the rest of the week she was going to be visiting Trinity in Hartford and the schools in New York before going down to Philadelphia to spend the weekend and the beginning of the following week with Rory and Jess while she visited Drexel and Penn.

"You know what I can't wait for?" April asked Friday afternoon as Jess carried her bags into the apartment after picking her up from the train station.

"What's that?" Jess asked.

"To have my own car," she said, "If I had my own car I could have driven down here myself."

"So your Mom finally let you get your license," Jess said.

"Yeah, it took a lot of convincing. I walk everywhere at home and if I go to school in New York I won't need a car so Mom insisted I didn't need my license," April said.

"She does have you there," Jess said, "You don't really need a car in the city. Whenever Rory and go we usually drive in, park somewhere and then either walk or take the subway everywhere."

"True, but I'll need to know how to drive and a car of my own to get back and forth from New York to Stars Hollow or here to visit everybody," she said.

"Maybe. Nothing wrong with buses or trains though. I've taken them from here to the city and even Stars Hollow," Jess said.

"Yeah, it's doable, but I'd still like to have a car though," April said, "What time does Rory get home?"

"Um, should be soon," Jess said looking at his watch, "Come on. Let's get your stuff into the guest room and you can help me start dinner."

After spending the weekend watching movies with Rory and exploring more of the city, April spent Monday and Tuesday taking tours of Drexel and Penn. She loved both schools and liked the idea of living in Philly. It was a great city and she would be close to her step-sister and cousin, but her top picks were still Yale and NYU.

* * *

 **AN:** I was going to include the start of Jess' book tour in this chapter as well, but it ended up really long with all the April stuff (I wanted her to be there for the birth so I had to give her a reason for still being in town) and the Rory and Jess baby talk. I hope you like the name I chose. I thought long and hard about it. I didn't want to go with Richard because I've already planned to use that for Rory and Jess. After coming up with a few ideas I liked I looked into famous people with the names I liked and since Hunter Thompson is actually referenced in the show a couple of times I went with Hunter.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: "I have a feeling we're going to need an extra suitcase just to hold all the books and cds we're accumulating,"

* * *

"So you got everything packed you want to take with us?" Jess asked as they tidied up the apartment the night before they were due to leave for his book tour, "Laptop, books?"

"Yep. My laptop is ready to go and I've got a couple of books with me. I don't want to carry around too many so I also broke down and bought an eReader," Rory told him.

"Seriously? Rory!" Jess said.

"Well, an eReader can hold thousands of my favorite's where as I can only take so many printed copies before we have to charter our own private plane," she told him, "I have printed copies of books I absolutely refuse to read on an eReader that I'm bringing with me."

"Oh yeah, like what?" he asked.

"Well, yours for starters. One, because it wouldn't be the same and two, because you refuse to release e-versions of your books. I also have the printed copies of a couple of books with your notes in them in my bag to read again," she said.

"Alright and I guess if we need anything else we can always buy it, right?" Jess asked.

"Yep, are you excited for the tour?" Rory asked.

"I'm excited you're going with me and I'm looking forward to hearing people's response to this one, but I'm not too thrilled with our first stop," he said.

"What's wrong with Los Angeles?" Rory asked.

"It's a little too close to Jimmy for my taste. I haven't seen him since…"

"Since you ran away to California?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"I forgave you a long time ago Jess."

"Thanks. It's just going there and being that close. I have to see him. It would be wrong not to."

"When was the last time you even talked to him?"

"After I wrote my first book. Lily came across it and showed it to him. He called me at Truncheon to congratulate me."

"That's good."

"I guess. He hasn't called back since. I gave him my cell number, but he hasn't used it. Lily does. She calls or texts me every now and then. I've sent her all my books and a few others here and there."

"I love how close you are with your step-sister. It's sweet."

"She's not technically my step-sister. Jimmy and Sasha aren't married or they weren't when I was there and Lily hasn't said anything to the contrary."

"Well, they're still together after all this time so she is basically your step-sister. There's just not a piece of paper to prove it. How old is she now, anyway?"

"I believe she just turned fifteen. Yeah, her birthday is a couple weeks after mine. She's fifteen now. Wow, she's almost ready to start driving and dating."

"Aww look at youbbeing all overprotective."

"Yeah, yeah. I would like to see Lily so I guess we'll have to see Jimmy, too."

"It wouldn't exactly be right to go there and only see her, plus don't you think he should know we're engaged?"

"He doesn't even know I'm seeing you unless Lily told him."

"Seriously?"

"He hasn't contacted me so I haven't contacted him."

"But we're changing that tomorrow, right?" Rory asked him.

"Yes, we're changing that tomorrow. When we get in we'll grab the rental car and I'll take you down to the beach where I did all my writing and introduce you to Jimmy," Jess said.

"Good. I want to meet him," she said.

"I know you do," he told her.

"But, if it's too much for you we'll leave, okay?" she asked placing her arms around his neck.

"Okay," he replied, taking hold of her waist and pulling her towards him for a kiss, "Thank you."

"For what?" Rory asked.

"For understanding my issues with Jimmy and not pushing me to see him or talk to him if I don't want to," Jess said before kissing her again, "Basically for being on my side."

"Of course. I'm always on your side. It comes with being in love with you," she told him, "It's my job to support you always."

"And I appreciate it, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now let's go to bed. We have to be up early tomorrow."

* * *

The morning of September first Rory and Jess were all packed and ready to go. After pouring coffee into a togo cup for Rory, Jess carried their bags down to Chris' car. He was taking them to the airport so they wouldn't have to leave one of their car's there for the month they would be gone. Jess' publicist, Neal arranged all the bookstores and other speaking engagements Jess would be making over the month and had given all the contact information for each place to Rory and Jess. Since Rory was going with him and could keep Jess organized and focused better than anyone, Neal was staying behind this trip, but would be available via phone or e-mail if needed for anything.

"You guys all set?" Chris asked when they arrived at the airport and had everything unloaded from the car.

"Yep, thank you for bringing us," Rory told him.

"It's no problem," he said, "and we're all going to take turns checking up on your apartment so you don't have to worry about that."

"Thanks," Jess said, shaking his hand, "I guess we'll see you in a month."

"Yeah, see you later. Bye, Rory," Chris said, giving her a hug and kissing her cheek.

"Bye, Chris," she replied, kissing his cheek as well before taking hold of her suitcase with one hand and grabbing Jess' hand in the other.

"Let's go," Jess said, dropping her hand to place an arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple as they began the walk to their gate.

Roughly six hours later they landed at LAX. After getting their luggage they grabbed the rental car they reserved for the next few days and headed out to the Santa Monica pier.

"Wow, it's beautiful out here," Rory said once they parked the car and began walking hand in hand down the boardwalk, "I've never seen the Pacific Ocean before."

"Really? All the stops in California for the campaign and you never went to the beach or just stopped and looked around?" Jess asked.

"No, when we came to L.A. and San Francisco, or anywhere in California in general I stayed in the hotel when Obama wasn't speaking and only went where the bus took me," she said.

"Why?" he wondered.

"I really had no desire to see California," she told him, "It's the place where everyone runs to or hides in."

"What do you mean?" Jess asked.

"My Dad use to live out here. He rarely came to Connecticut and never invited me out to see him. Logan took a job in Palo Alto which was part of why he proposed. And you, well," Rory said.

"I ran away from you and came here," he said.

"Yeah. California doesn't exactly evoke the fondest of memories for me," Rory said.

"Well, how about this," Jess said, stopping and turning to face her with his hands on her waist, "Let's forget about all the bad memories and focus on making new, happy one's, together."

"Sounds good," Rory said, leaning up and kissing him, "Now show me where you did all your writing."

Continuing to walk along the pier, Jess stopped when he came to a bench in front of the chess park.

"This is it," he told her, "I liked being able to look out into the ocean and with the chess games going on behind me it was actually pretty quiet. I sat here everyday and just wrote."

"Wow, it's amazing," she said, taking a camera out of her bag.

"What are you doing?" Jess asked as she took pictures of the area around her and several of the bench.

"This is a historical place, Jess. It's where you got your start as an author. I need to document it," Rory told him, "Now sit down and take out that notebook you're hiding."

"Why?" he asked, sitting down anyway.

"I need a picture of you on the bench to include in my blog," she told him as she continued to snap pictures of him sitting on the bench and pretending to write, "You know what this is?"

"What?" Jess asked.

"Your new 'about the author' image for your next book," she told him, "It's perfect. Your fifth book can have an image of you in the place where you wrote your first."

"The tour hasn't even started for my fourth and you're already planning my fifth?"

"Like you're not? Why else do you keep that notebook around? You were writing in it for most of the flight."

"I guess I was. I don't have anything concrete. I just keep it with me and write down whatever comes and sort it out later. You do the same thing with that little notebook you keep in your purse."

"True, I guess we're both slaves to our writing."

"I guess so. Okay, you ready to meet Jimmy."

"I am if you are."

"Alright, let's go," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her further along the pier to Jimmy's hot dog stand, Dante's Inferno.

"Oh, hot dogs, yum," Rory said as they approached the little building.

"They're pretty good, too. Not New York street cart dog good, but still pretty good," Jess said as they walked up to the window, "Hey Jimmy."

"Jess? Wow, uh what are you doing here?" Jimmy asked.

"Book tour. I'm doing a signing at that book store down the pier this afternoon and a few others in the city tomorrow and Friday so I thought I'd come see you," Jess said.

"You been to the house yet?" Jimmy asked, "Lily will be excited to see you."

"Not yet. We wanted to walk out here a bit first, but we're heading over there in a bit," Jess said, "That way I can bring Lily along to the signing."

"She'd like that. Wait you said 'we' didn't you," Jimmy said as he came out from behind the counter.

"Yeah, uh, Jimmy. I'd like you to meet, Rory Gilmore, my fiancee," Jess told her.

"Wow, fiancee. It's nice to meet you, Rory," Jimmy said, offering her a hand to shake, "When did that happen?"

"It's nice to meet you, too," Rory said.

"Just a couple of months ago," Jess told him.

"Well, I'm happy for you. You guys set a wedding date yet?" Jimmy asked.

"Not yet," Rory told him, "We know where we want to get married and we'll probably do it next spring or summer, but we haven't decided on a date yet."

"We'll let you know when we do so you can arrange to come out for it," Jess told him.

"You want me there?" Jimmy questioned.

"Sure. I know our relationship sucks and it's partly my fault, but you're still my father. You should be there," Jess said.

"Well, thanks, Jess. I'd love to go to your wedding," Jimmy said.

After eating a couple of hot dogs a piece, Rory and Jess walked to Jimmy and Sasha's to visit with Sasha and Lily a bit before Jess' first book signing.

"Jess, it's good to see you," Sasha said, giving him a hug when they walked into the house.

"It's good to see you too, Sasha. This is my fiancee Rory," he told her.

"I had a feeling about you, two," Sasha said, hugging her, "The way this one was moping around most of the summer he was here, no way were you not going to end up together in the end."

"Thanks. It's nice to meet you," Rory said.

"Is Lily here?" Jess asked.

"Her favorite place. She'll be glad to see you," she said, "Are you able to stay for dinner?"

"Yeah. I've got a signing in an hour, but we can come back after," Jess said.

"Great. You're taking Lily with you?" Sasha asked.

"If it's cool with you," Jess told her.

"Not a problem," she said.

"Wait until you see this room," Jess said as he took Rory's hand and led her to his and Lily's favorite room in the house.

"Oh my!" Rory exclaimed, as she took in the sight of the room they walked into. Aside from the teenage girl that leapt onto her fiance the moment they walked in, the room was filled with shelf after shelf of records and books. It was a biblio and audiophile's dream room, "So I guess your tastes in books and music is genetic."

"Looks that way. I couldn't believe it when I first came here and saw this room," Jess said, "Oh Lily, I'd like you to meet…"

"You're Lexi! Oh my God. I can't believe I'm meeting the real life Lexi and you're engaged!" Lily exclaimed, noticing the ring on Rory's finger and grabbing her in a hug, "I can't believe it. You're getting your happy ending just like Will and Lexi."

"Thank you. Jess has told me so much about you. It's great to finally meet you," Rory said.

"So, you know I've got a signing down on the pier in a little while. You want to come?" Jess asked.

"Absolutely. I can't wait to hear what people have to say about your book and get a signed copy of my own," Lily said.

"Lily I sign all the books I send you," Jess said.

"I know that, but people don't know I am personally connected to you so I can mingle amongst your fans and hear all their thoughts and opinions," Lily said.

"Oh, that's a good idea. I can use that," Rory said, "I was planning on talking to some of the people at the signing for my blog, but I can use what you hear and what people tell you, too. If you don't mind."

"Sure, that'd be cool," Lily said.

After the first signing they went back to Jimmy and Sasha's for dinner. Before heading to their hotel for the night, Rory and Jess took another walk on the pier. Jess even let Rory talk him into taking rides on the carousel and the ferris wheel. They went to bed exhausted, but excited because day two of the book tour was at a bookstore they were both excited to see, The Last Bookstore.

* * *

"How much would you hate me if I didn't have you make my wedding dress?" Rory asked Lorelai a couple days later as she walked out of the headquarters for Simply Bridal.

"I could never hate you sweets, but I thought you wanted me to make your dress. What changed?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, there are like a million bridal stores in Los Angeles and about a thousand of them were with in three blocks of The Last Bookstore," Rory said.

"And you looked in some of them," Lorelai stated.

"I didn't go in any of them, but after looking in the windows and seeing how beautiful they all were I got excited about the idea of having one of my own," Rory told her, "And then we drove past the headquarters for Simply Bridal and they have a showroom."

"Aren't places like that usually by appointment only?"

"It is and I called last night and managed to get one for today so I dropped Jess off at his signing at Book Soup and came here."

"You're there now? And how did you get an appointment so quick?"

"I'm leaving now actually. I've got to pick Jess up soon and then we're going to browse Amoeba Music for as long as they'll let us stay."

"Amoeba Music, better not tell Lane. She'll hate you."

"Yeah, probably. Anyway, when I called I may have mentioned I was only in town for a few days as I was here with my author fiance while he promoted his fourth successful book."

"True L.A. fashion, using who you know to get what you want."

"Yeah. So, I found a dress."

"Really? You're positive it's the one. No more looking."

"It's perfect Mom. They have pictures of all their dresses online and each one has a different name. Like the Sadie gown and Hillary gown. And I was looking through them and they have a Lorelai gown."

"Cool so was that the one?" Lorelai asked.

"No, it was cool to see and I did try it on, but it's a one shoulder and taffeta," Rory said.

"Got it, say no more," Lorelai said, "Did they have a Rory gown?"

"Sadly, no. As I went through the names I was hoping they would and that I would love it, but no. They do have a Victoria gown and a Leigh gown, though," Rory told her.

"Very nice," Lorelai said, "How were those?"

"Beautiful. The Victoria is gorgeous, but totally not for me. It has this corset back with the ribbon that hangs down. The top part in the front is nice with all this great beading, but the bottom is way too much. It's too poofy and the train is way too much, especially for a wedding at the bridge," Rory said, "With a train like that, it's sure to get stuck on a loose board or crack in the bridge or something."

"So, how about the Leigh gown? What's it like?" Lorelai asked.

"It's perfect, Mom," Rory told her.

"Perfect?" Lorelai wondered.

"It's strapless, so perfect for outside. It has a sweetheart neckline, a sheath silhouette, a zipper back, a little bit of beading around the bust, and the slightest bit of a train. It's so simple and perfect. I love it. It's the perfect dress for me," Rory said, "I knew it the moment I saw it."

"Wow and you're sure about this?" Lorelai asked.

"I'm positive, Mom. I know shopping for my wedding dress or having you make it was something you wanted to do, but I really didn't plan on getting one. I just thought I'd look and see if I liked anything, but when I saw it…"

"You just knew."

"Yeah."

"It's okay, kid, really. I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to be with you when you tried on dresses, but I'm happy for you."

"You are?"

"Of course."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, kid."

"So this is really happening, isn't it?" Rory asked, "I'm really getting married."

"Yeah, it's really happening. You've got your dress and your location, the groom. Now you just need the date," Lorelai said.

"I've got my matron of honor, too," Rory said.

"Really, who?" Lorelai asked.

"Mom!" Rory said.

"Well, I didn't just want to assume," Lorelai told her.

"You can assume this. There's no one better I'd want standing next to me," Rory said.

"Thanks, sweets. I'd be honored," Lorelai said, "So when do I get to see this dress?"

"When it arrives at your house. It wasn't one I could just buy and take with me and certainly can't have it sent to the apartment," Rory told her.

"True, so do I get to look at it when it arrives or do I have to wait for you?" Lorelai asked.

"You can look at it. Just call me when it does and we'll come up so I can try it on. It won't be for a while though. At least six weeks or so, they said," Rory explained.

"Well, I can't wait. Please tell me you at least took a picture so I can see it now," Lorelai wondered.

"I'll e-mail you a bunch when I get back to the hotel tonight," Rory said.

"Awesome. I'm looking forward to it," Lorelai said.

"Hey, Mom, Jess is on the other line so I've got to go. I'll talk to you later," Rory said.

"Okay. Talk you later, babe. I love you," Lorelai said.

"I love you, too," Rory replied.

* * *

Lorelai had to admit it, she was sad not to be with her baby girl when she picked out her wedding dress. But, when Rory started talking about it and even more when she looked at the pictures Rory sent her when they finally made it back to their hotel after spending hours at Amoeba, significantly adding to their music collection, Lorelai wasn't so sad anymore. Rory was right, it was the perfect dress.

"I have a feeling we're going to need an extra suitcase just to hold all the books and cds we're accumulating," Rory said.

"We haven't bought that many," Jess said.

"No, but we're only five days in," Rory said as they drove up to San Francisco the day after Jess' signing at Rory's new favorite bookstore, Bart's Books, the world's greatest outdoor bookstore, "Who knows what else we'll find."

"True, well when we need one we'll get one," he told her as he directed the car towards a surprise destination he had for Rory.

"Your signing isn't until tomorrow, right?" Rory asked.

"Right. So?" he questioned.

"So, why are we going up now when we could have spent an extra day in L.A. or with your family?" she asked.

"Because I have somewhere I want us to go today and then I figured we could just relax. Maybe spend some quality time at the hotel," he said.

"I like the quality time idea. These past few days have been crazy," she said.

"And only going to get crazier," Jess said.

"So, where is this mystery place you're guiding us to?" Rory asked.

"You just have to wait and see, but trust me, you'll love it," he told her.

"You and your surprises," Rory said with a huff, "Jess this place looks abandoned."

"It is. It's an old hospital that closed in the eighties," he told her.

"Then what are we doing here?" Rory asked.

"You'll see," he said as he stopped the car, "Come on."

"Jess this is a tennis court," Rory said as they approached it, "And you know Gilmore's don't do sports."

"I do know that. Don't worry. We're just here to look," he told as they walked up to the court.

"Woah, is that?" Rory asked, standing next to the court, reading the words painted on each side of the net.

"Yep, a few years ago an artist painted it on. What do you think?" he asked.

"I think you're amazing. Thanks for bringing me here," Rory said, placing her hand on his cheek and kissing him.

"You're welcome. Now, I take it you want a picture?" Jess asked.

"Of course," she told him and they turned so the tennis court, with the word "LOVE" printed just like the sculpture they took a picture in front of on her birthday, was behind them and took a picture before moving to their hotel to rest up before the next day's signing at The Book Smith.

* * *

After San Francisco they went to Las Vegas where Jess surprised Rory with a night at Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino, a beautiful hotel that wasn't as crazy as others in the city since it wasn't located on the strip. Though, Jess chose it because it had another version of the "LOVE" sculpture near their pool.

After Las Vegas they flew into Phoenix and made a stop in Scottsdale, Arizona to visit another "LOVE" sculpture before flying to Salt Lake City. After Utah they spent a couple of days visiting bookstores in North and South Dakota and then made there way to Wichita, Kansas where Jess was doing a signing at the campus bookstore. It worked out for them that another sculpture was on display at Wichita State University.

"So, how many more of these sculptures are you planning on taking me to see?" Rory asked after they took their picture in front of the sculpture located at the University of Oklahoma, "I mean, we've seen five versions of this now. Six if you count the one we already saw back home."

"Oh, as many as we can. If there's one in a city we're going to or it's close enough for a short drive to it then we're going to see it," Jess said, kissing her as they took another picture.

"Good because I'm making these my story," she told him, "LOVE Across America."

"Sounds great," he said kissing her again.

"I love you, you know."

"I do know and I love you, too."

* * *

 **AN:** Okay, I'm leaving this chapter here. There is still more of the book tour to go. By my calculation of how many days they've spent in each place with travel time accounted for in-between, I'm about half way through the month they will be on this tour. The next chapter will be the rest of the tour. Also, I had no intention of having Rory buy a dress. I decided since she was in L.A. with all those fabulous shops she should at least look and when I went to the Simply Bridal website and saw the Leigh Gown, I had to make it her dress. If you want to see it you can go to the Simply Bridal site and search for Leigh Gown. It's a simple dress, but I feel like it's Rory. She doesn't need anything fancy or over the top. I hope you like it. Happy reading!


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:** And now to continue on with the book tour.

Chapter 25: "Um, how about the twenty-first?"

* * *

After the signing in Oklahoma Rory and Jess had a couple days before the next signings in Austin and Dallas. They used that time to visit another LOVE sculpture, this time in San Antonio at the McNay Art Museum. It was a beautiful museum with gorgeous gardens and a fountain in addition to the LOVE sculpture and other pieces inside.

"I find it funny that it took me months to get you take a picture with the sculpture mere miles from us and now you're willingly taking me across the country to see them," Rory said as they took their seats on the plane to New Orleans after Jess' signings in Austin and Dallas.

"Well, I'm not exactly taking you across the country just to see the sculptures," Jess reminded her, "I have to be in these places anyway."

"True, but we didn't have to go to San Antonio to see the sculpture. We could have gone ahead to Dallas or stayed in Oklahoma a little longer," Rory told him, "We also didn't have to drive to Scottsdale after your signing in Phoenix."

"I know we didn't, but I know how much it meant to you when we took that first picture so I wanted to do this for you," Jess said.

"Well, thank you. I love seeing all these pieces with you," she told him, laying her head on his shoulder to get a nap in before they landed.

"You know it's only like an hour flight, right?" Jess asked when he noticed her eyes were closed.

"Can't talk, sleeping. Tired," Rory said.

"Well that's your own fault," he told her, "I was all set to just go to sleep last night, but you were the one insisting we make use of the hot tub in our hotel room."

"Like you didn't want to," Rory said, still keeping her eyes closed as she snuggled closer to Jess when he placed an arm around her.

"No, you're right. I was a willing participant," he said, kissing the top of her head, "Go ahead and get some sleep. I'll wake you when we get there. I need you rested anyway for my plans when we get in."

"Jess, when you said you needed me rested I didn't think that meant walking a thousand miles," Rory said as they walked through the sculpture garden of the New Orleans Museum of Art, "Gilmore's are not cut out for exercise."

"It's not a thousand miles and this is hardly exercise. You walk around Stars Hollow all the time," Jess said, "And really, like you didn't already know we were coming here."

"Why would I already know we were coming here? You're the one planning this trip," she said.

"Oh, please, like you didn't immediately look up locations that had the LOVE sculpture after we went to a couple of them to see where else they were," Jess said.

"Maybe I did," Rory said.

"Maybe?"

"Okay, I did, but you know I like to be informed. I like my research."

"This is true. And I as much as I love that about you, it would be great if you'd let me surprise you every once and awhile."

"Hershey was a surprise. So was proposing to me actually."

"Did you really not expect it? I mean we talked about a bit."

"I did expect it to happen someday. I guess I didn't really have a time frame in mind of when someday would be, but I never expected it to be that day."

"Why not? It was the perfect day. It was the day we shared our first kiss."

"Well I know that. I just wasn't sure you did. Those little anniversaries, especially one from that long ago are not something guys usually remember."

"You never have to worry about me not remembering an anniversary of any kind. I could never forget anything important to you or to us," Jess said, kissing the back of her hand before pulling her to him for a deep kiss on the lips.

"You're such a sap," Rory said against his lips, "But I love it and you."

"Good because I love you, too," Jess said, kissing her again, "Now ready for another picture?"

"Always," she told him as they stood before their eighth rendition of the LOVE sculpture.

* * *

Jess was exhausted as they exited their plane at Indianapolis International Airport. They had been traveling the country for over three weeks. He had signed countless autographed, smiled for hundreds of pictures, and read passage after passage from his book; he was tired. He had been hoping to sleep for a bit on their flight from New Orleans, but Rory who normally fell asleep the moment the plane was in the air stayed awake the entire flight. Jess understood it though. Since he had called her out on looking up locations for the LOVE sculpture, she was openly showing her excitement for their trip to Indianapolis because the Indianapolis Museum of Art was home to the original sculpture. If there were any Rory had been hoping to see while on this book tour, it was this one.

"Come on, Jess, let's go," Rory said as she grabbed his hand, practically dragging him along with her as she hurried to collect their bags.

"What's your hurry?" Jess asked, knowing full well why, but wanting her to admit it.

"The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we checked into our hotel, and the sooner we can go to the museum to see the sculpture," she told him.

"Rory that sculpture has been at that museum for the past thirty-five years. It's not going anywhere," he said.

"I know, but now that we're here I just...I really want to see it Jess. I know I got to see a couple of them on the campaign trail and we've seen even more of them now, but we weren't in Indianapolis for that long so I never had a chance venture out," Rory said, "It's the first one. I'm just really excited to see it."

"I know you are," he said, kissing the top of her head as he held her in his arms, "Alright, let's go."

After picking up their rental car and checking into their hotel, Rory and Jess made their way to the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Once Rory had taken a dozen photos of the sculpture itself, she and Jess took several photos of themselves with it. After walking around the grounds of the museum, they went downtown to have dinner and take a walk around Monument Circle. It was while walking downtown that Rory noticed a candy store.

"Oh Jess look, they have a Rocket Fizz," she said, having frequented the one in Philadelphia several times, mostly when Lorelai was in town.

"We ate dessert at the restaurant and now you want candy?" Jess asked with a laugh.

"Well, I'm a Gilmore. Who are we if not bottomless pits," Rory said.

"True. Alright, let's get some candy," he said as they walked across the street to the candy store.

The next day was a full day to themselves before Jess' book signing the day after so they decided to explore a few of the historical sites Indianapolis had to offer. They took a tour of the homes of the twenty-third president, Benjamin Harrison, and writer, James Whitcomb Riley. After Jess' signing in Indianapolis they flew down to Nashville and then spent a couple of days in Savannah, Georgia before making stops in the Carolina's. First they went to Charleston in South Carolina and then Wilmington, North Carolina. Their last stop before heading home for Jess to do signings in New York, Hartford, and Boston was Washington, D.C.

* * *

"You know the one here doesn't actually say 'LOVE' it says 'AMOR'," Rory told Jess as they walked through the National Gallery of Art.

"I didn't until I looked up locations for all of them," he said, "Have you seen this one before?"

"Yep, it was the first one I saw during the campaign, but I also saw it that summer I spent here in high school," Rory said.

"Oh right, that program you did with Paris when you were vice-president," Jess said.

"Yeah, during some of our free time we went to several of the museums and we ended up walking past here," she told him, "Paris of course thought it was sappy and pathetic that couples were taking pictures with it, but that's Paris."

"That doesn't surprise me. So are you excited to go home?" he asked.

"Absolutely. Hotels are nice for a day or two, but after awhile I just start to miss my own bed," she told him, "I can't wait to curl up under my own blanket in our nice soft bed."

"Yeah, I think after you, sleeping in my own bed is what I missed most during my book tour last year," Jess said, "Having you with me this time has made it so much better."

"For me, too. I hated those three weeks without you," Rory told him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I know you did, but you never have to worry about us being apart ever again," he told her, taking her left hand in his, running his fingers across her engagement ring before kissing her, "We're going to be together forever."

"Hmm, forever. I like the sound of that," Rory said as she deepened their kiss.

"Once the book tour is over, do you want to start planning things? We already know where we want to get married, but do you want to figure out when, maybe take a trip up to Stars Hollow so you and Lorelai can figure out your dress?" Jess asked.

"About that. I kind of already started a bit," she told him, "I haven't made any plans that require your input or anything, but I bought a dress."

"Really? When?" Jess asked.

"When we were in L.A," Rory said, "There were all those dress shops by The Last Bookstore that I decided to look at some."

"I thought Lorelai was going to make your dress?" he asked.

"She said she would if I wanted her to and that was what I was planning, but I saw this dress online and when I went to see it in person and try it on, it was…"

"Perfect?"

"Yeah. It's amazing Jess."

"I'm sure it is. I can't wait until the day I get to see it on you."

"Well, I did actually have a thought on that."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Why not stick with a day in May? It's when Mom and Luke's anniversary is and the day we got engaged."

"Not a bad idea. When?"

"Um, how about the twenty-first?" Rory asked as she looked through the calendar on her phone.

"Two days after the one year anniversary of our engagement, I like it," Jess said, pulling her to him for a kiss.

"Great, I'll call Mom so she can let Taylor know and he can start on whatever paperwork he thinks is needed," Rory said.

* * *

It was October first when they flew home to Philadelphia after Jess' signing in D.C. Arriving home from the airport after Chris picked them up they quickly collapsed into their bed, ready for a good night's sleep in their own bed before continuing the book tour in their neighboring states.

The next morning after sharing a long, but very welcomed shower together, Rory and Jess went to New York for his next book signing. While there they saw the two New York sculptures, one on Sixth Avenue and the other in Brooklyn. After New York they went to Stars Hollow where they would be spending the next few days while Jess did a signing in Hartford on the fourth and one in Boston on the sixth.

"Jess why did you have me pack so much stuff when your last signing is in Boston on the sixth. I have enough clothes to last me until the end of the week," Rory said.

"Good, you'll need them," he told her.

"What are you planning Dodger?" she asked.

"Nothing, just a little surprise for the end of our trip," Jess said, "Nothing for you to worry about."

"I hate surprises."

"Tough."

"Jess!"

"Nope. You're just going to have to wait and be surprised. And don't even think about asking Lorelai. She doesn't know a thing."

"You're mean."

"Not mean, just secretive. I'd like to do something nice for you and leave it a surprise, is that so bad?"

"No, I guess not, but I still don't like it."

"Well all that matters is you like it when you see it and trust me, you will."

While in Stars Hollow, Rory and Jess met with Taylor to finalize the date and location for their wedding. They also talked to Sookie about catering and doing their cake. While Jess was doing his signing in Hartford, Rory went to visit her grandparents to fill them in on the plans so far and to let Emily have a bit of input, Rory asked for recommendations of places for 'save the date' cards and wedding invitations. She also showed Emily the pictures of her in the dress she bought and though she was a little disappointed not be there to see her granddaughter try on dresses, she had to admit Rory looked lovely in it and couldn't wait to see it in person.

"It's not supposed to be at Mom's for another couple of weeks, but when it does come I'll let you know so you can see it," Rory told her, "I'll come down the weekend it arrives so you can all see me in it."

"I can't wait. It really is a lovely dress, Rory," Emily said.

"Thanks Grandma and thank you for your help with the 'save the date' cards," Rory said.

"It's not a problem. I'm happy to help. I'll make a few calls and get some samples for you to look at and if you like anything we'll get it ordered and start looking at invitations as well," she said.

"That's great Grandma. Thanks so much," Rory said before glancing at her watch, "But, I better get going. I've got to get back to the bookstore to get Jess."

"Will the two of you be able to come by for dinner before you go back home?" Emily asked.

"I'm not really sure. His last signing is in Boston on the sixth, but he has some secret plans for the rest of the week. We're going back to work on Monday so we'll have to be back by Sunday, but I'm not sure what we're doing or for how long," Rory said.

"Whisking you away somewhere for your birthday, is he?" Emily asked.

"No clue, but probably. I keep telling him I don't like surprises, but he refuses to tell me what he's planning," Rory said.

"I think it's a guy thing. You're grandfather used to do that all the time at the beginning of our marriage," Emily said, "He'd take a weekend off and tell me just to pack a bag and we'd either drive somewhere close or fly across the country for two days. He loved surprising me and still does on occasion with little gifts and such."

"I guess I have to get used to it then," Rory said.

"I believe so," Emily said, "You've got yourself a good man. Enjoy it."

"I know. Thank you," Rory said, giving her grandmother and hug and kiss on the cheek, "I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye, Rory," Emily said as she closed the door behind her after Rory left.

Rory had already talked to Lorelai about being her matron of honor, but she asked Lane to be a bridesmaid while Jess asked Luke be his best man and Zach to be a groomsman. Rory still needed to call April to ask her to be part of the wedding, but she planned to ask Paris in person when they went to Boston for Jess' signing. She was also going to ask Gigi to be the flower girl and her Dad to walk her down the aisle.

Are you going to tell me what we're doing now?" Rory asked as they got in the car to leave the bookstore. They stayed at Christopher's house the night before and talked to him and Paris about the wedding when they got to Boston, "We brought everything with us so we're clearly not going back to Stars Hollow today."

"That is correct," he told her, "We're driving up the coast to Maine."

"Maine, really? Why?" Rory asked.

"Just a little vacation. No signings, no work of any kind. Just us," Jess told her, "What do you think?"

"I love it," she said, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek, "Thank you. Where in Maine?"

"Like you don't already know?"

"Rockland! Really!? Another sculpture. That's almost all of them Jess."

"I know. We missed one in Utah because we weren't' really close to and there are few more in Pennsylvania, but those are pretty doable anytime."

"At least almost all the one's in this country. There are some in other countries."

"We'll have to consider those places for our honeymoon then."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. I'll make a list."

* * *

A few hours later they were checking into their room at Berry Manor Inn. They were going to relax and enjoy just being together their first night and go explore the city and visit the Farnsworth Art Museum where the LOVE Sculpture was located the next day. Jess didn't have too many plans for their stay in Maine. He had reservations for Rory's birthday at an Italian place he saw online and knew they were going to see the sculpture, but otherwise he was really looking forward to just spending some quiet alone time with his fiancee.

Their first night after dinner they enjoyed the chocolate covered strawberries and champagne that awaited them as part of the romantic getaway package Jess booked for them before making use of both the whirlpool tub and two-person body jet shower. The next morning after breakfast they went to the museum to see the sculpture followed by lunch at a local place nearby called Cafe Miranda.

"I think I'm going to go with a basic burger and fries," Rory said as she looked at the menu, "But change it up a bit and get the lamb burger and the sweet potato fries."

"Sweet potato fries? Wow, Rory Gilmore voluntarily eating something good for her. And you know they put vegetables on that lamb burger, right?" Jess asked.

"Yes, but it looks pretty good and I can always take the green stuff off if I don't like it. And sweet potato fries are good. It's like french fries that are good for you so you can eat more of them," she said, "What are you getting?"

"I'm thinking pulled pork tacos. It looks good," he told her.

"It does. So what else do you have planned for this weekend? More strawberries and rose petals in our room? Mom seriously needs to offer that at the Dragonfly. I can't believe you found two places for us to stay that do that. I love it."

"I figured we could just explore the city a bit today. Maybe check out a bookstore or something before dinner."

"And tomorrow?"

"I really didn't have anything special planned. Why, you got something important?"

"Very funny. You know tomorrow is my birthday."

"Fine, I may have something planned."

"And?"

"And...I'm not telling you what it is."

"No fair."

* * *

After going back to sleep for a few more hours after Lorelai's four AM wake up call to Rory for her birthday, Jess got up to go downstairs to bring back breakfast for him and Rory. They ate in the dining room the day before, but since it was her birthday he wanted to treat her to breakfast in bed.

"So what are we doing after breakfast?" Rory asked as they sat in bed eating the food Jess brought up for them.

"Personally I was hoping for a shower. That jet shower is amazing and we've had a lot of fun in it," Jess told, "Then after we have a full day ahead of us of birthday fun."

"Full day, huh. Do I get any hints now that the day is here?" Rory asked.

"It involves lobster," he told her.

"That's not much of a hint. We're in Maine. I figured we'd have lobster eventually," Rory said.

"It's all the hint you're getting. Now, let's go enjoy that shower," he said getting off the bed and picking her up in his arms before carrying her into the bathroom.

"Jess! I can walk you know."

"I know, but I need the practice."

"What practice?"

"Carrying you over the threshold."

"Sap."

After their extra long shower they barely had enough time to make it to Captain Jack's Lobster Boat Adventure where Jess had booked a day for them on the bay full of sailing and a picnic lunch of lobster rolls. Then that evening Jess took Rory to Rustica Cucina Italiana, a local Italian restaurant he read up on and made a reservation for her birthday dinner.

"It smells amazing in here," Rory said as they took their seats.

"Yeah and everything looks good, too. It has great online reviews and the inn recommends it on their website," Jess said.

"I don't think that one lobster roll was enough lobster for me," Rory said after the waiter finished pouring their wine, "I want to try the lobster bruschetta."

"That sounds good," Jess said.

"And I think I'm going to embrace this whole being on the coast thing and get the linguine with clams," she said.

"I was thinking the same thing, but the shrimp piccata," he said.

"Sounds yummy. We'll definitely have to share," Rory said.

"So I got you a little something," Jess said as they waited for their tiramisu to arrive, "I started thinking about us taking a little trip at the end of the tour months ago and with all the little bookstores we were at I got inspired to find this and after a lot of searching, well…"

"Okay, it's obviously a book," Rory said, taking the rectangular shaped packaged from Jess, " _The Fountainhead_. Jess you already read this."

"This one is a little different," he told her, "Open it."

"Oh my!" Rory exclaimed when she opened the book and saw the publication date, "It's a first edition."

"That's not all. Turn the next page," he said, "Rory? Rory, babe, I need you to breathe."

"It's signed. How?"

"I told you a lot of digging, but in the end I had to get help from Richard. He helped me track it down. You like it."

"Are you crazy? I love it. This is incredible, Jess. Thank you."

* * *

"So, last night," Jess said as they got into the car to head back to Stars Hollow after checking out of the inn, "That was, wow. Who knew you could be so aggressive."

"Was it okay?" Rory asked.

"Of course it was okay," he told her, taking her hand in his, kissing her palm and the band of her engagement ring, "It was more than okay. It was incredible. Please be that aggressive again."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I loved it."

"Good. So did I."

When they arrived back in Connecticut, Lorelai was waiting anxiously to hear all about their trip. While Rory shared the details that wouldn't horrify her mother to hear, Jess took over watching Hunter. He loved holding him in his arms and seeing all the features of Luke and Lorelai in him. The idea of someday holding a baby whose face held reminders of him and Rory excited him. He couldn't wait to marry her and have children with her.

That night they had dinner with the Gilmore's where Emily had gathered a few 'save the date' ideas for Rory and Jess to look at and even an invitation idea she was sure they would love.

"The invitation is perfect Grandma. Where did you find it?" Rory asked as she handed the invitation designed to look like a book to Jess to look at.

"Oh, just this little shop in town. I didn't care much for most of the samples they had, but the owner said she could make almost anything I wanted. She asked me a bit about you and what I thought you may like," Emily said, "When I told her Jess was an author and you had a book collection that rivaled the Library of Congress she suggested this."

"It's great, Emily. I love it," Jess told her.

"Thank you. Now the cover I think should have both of your names in a simple text or she said she could match the text of a favorite book or something if you wanted," Emily said.

"I like that idea. Just our names on the front, sort of like _Franny and Zooey_ ," Jess said.

"And maybe we could use the text from the cover of your books," Rory suggested.

"Excellent and the inside can be written sort of like a table of contents detailing the where and when," Emily said, taking notes as they discussed what they wanted, "Now, what if you picked a quote for the inside cover to go next to the the details of the ceremony?"

"I like it, but what do we choose?" Rory wondered.

"Yeah, there are so many options. We'll think about that one and get back to you, Emily," Jess said.

"Alright, now the 'save the date' cards. There were a few I liked and they can be made in any color once you decide what those are," Emily said, laying a few samples out in front of them.

"Ice blue and navy," Rory said.

"Really?" Jess asked.

"Yeah. Are you okay with that? I saw an ice blue bridesmaid dress when I was trying on wedding dresses and I really liked the color and thought navy would go nicely with it," Rory said.

"Sure, it's fine. We both like blue and I can't picture what in the world ice blue looks like, but I know navy would look good," Jess said.

"Great, I was thinking ice blue for the main color. For the bridesmaid dresses and such since it will be late spring and accent with the navy. I really liked the dresses I saw that had a sash tied around the middle," Rory said.

"So, an ice blue dress with a navy sash around the middle," Lorelai said, "I like it."

"Awesome, I like this one Jess, what do you think?" Rory asked pointing one out to him, "With one of our LOVE sculpture pictures."

"I like it, but I wonder if it could be combined with something like this or just add the tree in somehow," Jess said, picking up a card that had large tree across the edge.

"Ooh, I like that idea. You proposed under a tree, it's perfect," Rory said.

"Alright, I'll send my notes to the shop and we'll get these ordered and when you pick out a quote we'll get the invitations printed as well. How many do you think you'll need?" Emily asked.

"About a hundred should do it," Jess said.

"We're not inviting too many people. Just people from the town, our parents, our friends in Philly, and a few other family members on my side," Rory said.

"Okay, I'm sure I have most of these from Lorelai and Luke's wedding, but if you would get me the address for your friends in Philadelphia and Jess, for your dad, I'll send it along and they'll address them and send them out for us," Emily said.

"Perfect," Rory said.

* * *

Sunday morning after breakfast at Luke's, Rory and Jess went back to Philly. When they came home a week ago they only stayed one night. Now, they wouldn't be going anywhere for more than just a weekend trip to Stars Hollow until they were married and went on their honeymoon. It was good to be home, though having been away from their normal day to day work life they weren't looking forward to getting back to that routine Monday morning.

* * *

 **AN:** Okay, longest chapter yet. Wow! There is also a little mini deleted scene for this chapter. To read that check out Deleted Scenes From That Part Always Worked. Reviews are lovely and if you have quote ideas for the wedding invitation, I welcome suggestions.


	26. Chapter 26

**AN:** Okay, so everything I write is pretty much drama free. Rory and Riley was a bit dramatic in the beginning and had a few fights between characters and I gave Rory and Jess a small fight in this story, but this came to me so time for a little drama.

* * *

Chapter 26: "Okay, we'll spend the weekend in Stars Hollow and we'll revisit this topic later?"

* * *

"Rory?" Jess called when he entered their apartment the week after her birthday.

They came home from Stars Hollow on Sunday and everything was going fine until she ate the Indian food they ordered for dinner the night before from a new restaurant that just opened near them. She said it wasn't bad, but something about it was off. Now that she was home from work in the middle of the day and not replying to any of Jess' texts or phone calls he suspected that maybe there really was something wrong with the food since Rory never got sick. At least not sick enough to keep her from her work.

"Rory, are you alright?" Jess asked as he walked into their bedroom and found it empty, but could hear a noise in the bathroom, "Hey, why didn't you call me? I would have come home. I finally had to get hold of Kara who told me you left work sick."

"I'm sorry I worried you," Rory said as she leaned her head against his shoulder when he sat down next her, both leaning their back against the bathtub, "But, did you really want to come home and watch me throw up for two hours?"

"Two hours?"

"That's no exaggeration. I'm surprised I was able to make it home without getting sick."

"Did you take anything?"

"I tried, but it just came back up. I can't keep anything down."

"Do you need me to get you anything? You want to try drinking some juice or something?"

"No, it will just come back up. I'll stick with water, but could you maybe run to the store for me? I thought about it when I was leaving the paper, but I really just wanted to get here before I threw up again."

"Sure, what do you need?"

"A pregnancy test."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Well, it's either that or food poisoning, but the bad Indian food wouldn't explain my being late, Jess."

"How late?"

"Two weeks. The last time I had my period was just before the tour started."

"So, seven weeks ago," Jess said, figuring the math in his head.

"Yeah, it's possible I'm not and could just be late due to the stress of all the travel and everything. My cycle was all over the place during the campaign," Rory said, "But…"

"But when you add in that you've been throwing up all morning," Jess said.

"Yeah, so will you?" Rory asked.

"I'm on it," Jess said as he stood up before taking Rory in his arms to carry her back to the bedroom and kissing her on the forehead before leaving her to rest, "Text me or something if you think of anything else you want, okay?"

"Okay, thanks Jess," she said before rolling over to sleep a bit before he returned or the need to throw up came back.

* * *

Jess was in shock as he drove to the nearest store. Sure, he and Rory had talked about having kids when they were waiting at the hospital for Hunter to be born and he was excited for the day to come when he would have a little boy or girl of his own, but he was definitely shocked at the possibility of that day coming sooner than he thought. They were ready. They've known each other for nine years, they were engaged and planned to get married in seven months. Financially, they were more than ready and had room in the apartment. They rented that particular one on purpose so they wouldn't have to move again when they had kids. They could do this.

"I got a couple of them, just to be sure," Jess said when he walked back into their bathroom where Rory had relocated to about ten minutes after he left.

"Good. I'm so sick of being sick. I'd at least like to know why," Rory said when he handed her the boxes.

"Alright, I'll be right out here if you need me," Jess told her, kissing her cheek before going back to their room to wait.

"We have to wait two minutes," Rory said when she came into the room and found Jess pacing the floor.

"Okay. Come here," Jess said as he stopped pacing and opened up his arms to her, "Are you feeling any better?"

"A little. Less nauseous," she said as she buried her face into his chest, "More nervous."

"Me, too," Jess said, kissing the top of her head, "But it's a good thing right, if you are pregnant?"

"Yeah, I mean it's sooner than we planned, but yeah," Rory said.

"Good, I was hoping you would say that," Jess said before glancing at his watch, "It's been two minutes."

"Come with me?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, taking her hand and walking into their bathroom to see what their future would hold, "Well?"

"It's negative," Rory said as tears began to fall, "They all are. I was really hoping it wasn't the Indian, Jess."

"I know, Ror, I know," Jess said when she put the tests down and threw herself into his arms, sobbing, "Me, too."

"I want to see my doctor to be sure," Rory said a few minutes later when she had calmed down, "I'm sure the tests are right, but I'm still late so I'd like to know if something caused that other than all the travel stress."

"Okay, we'll call in a bit. Do you want me to go with you?" Jess asked.

"Would you?" Rory wondered.

"If you want me to, of course I'll go," he told her.

"Thank you," Rory said.

"Anytime," Jess said, leaning down to kiss away the stray tears that were still falling.

* * *

Rory and Jess were thankful that when Rory called her doctor's office they had an opening for that afternoon after a cancellation. As much as neither of them wanted to hear the doctor confirm what they already believed to be true, they knew they needed her to confirm it to be sure just in case the tests were wrong and to be sure there wasn't anything wrong with Rory.

"Hi, Rory. Good to see you again," Dr. Sanders said, "And you're Jess Mariano. Rory's told me about you. I'm a big fan."

"Thank you," Jess said, squeezing Rory's hand a bit when she didn't respond, "Rory?"

"Oh, right. It's good to see you, too, Dr. Sanders," Rory said.

"So, what brings you in today, Rory," the doctor asked.

"I'm two weeks late. It's been seven weeks since my last period. I've also spent all morning throwing up," Rory told her, still holding tight to Jess' hand.

"So, you think you might be pregnant. Have you taken a home pregnancy test?" Dr. Sanders asked.

"Several, just before we came here, but," Rory said, taking a breath, "they were all negative."

"It's possible her throwing up this morning could be food poisoning. We tried a new restaurant last night and she said it tasted off," Jess said, putting his arm around Rory to pull her close to him as she began to tear up again.

"But, with your cycle being late you want to be sure. Okay, we'll get you another test and we'll also run your blood through some tests just to make sure everything's okay," Dr. Sanders said.

"Thank you," Rory said when she got up to take the pregnancy test the doctor handed her.

"You just finished your book tour, correct?" the doctor asked Jess while Rory went to take the test.

"Yes, Rory went with me," Jess said, "And she said if she's not pregnant than the stress of all the travel could have caused her to be late. Is that true?"

"It's possible. All the flying, changing time zones, varying sleep patterns, not to mention planning a wedding; I couldn't help but notice her ring. It can all be very stressful on the body," Dr. Sanders said.

"You okay?" Jess asked when Rory came back in the room and noticed she cried more while she was gone.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Rory said, taking hold of his hand again while the nurse drew her blood to run for testing.

"Alright so we'll have your blood results in a few hours, but the urine test came back just like the one's you took at home," Dr. Sanders said, "It's negative. You're not pregnant."

"We figured that," Rory said, wiping away a few tears with the hand that wasn't gripping tightly to Jess, "But we wanted to be sure. I guess it really was just food poisoning then."

"Most likely yes. Jess was telling me you tried a new restaurant," Dr. Sanders said.

"Yeah, a new Indian place just opened a couple blocks from us. Indian is my favorite so I figured it was closer than the other place we've gone to and definitely closer than Stars Hollow, but I guess closer wasn't better," Rory said with a slight laugh, "But then why am I late?"

"Jess mentioned you believe it may have been the stress of all the traveling," Dr. Sanders said, "I would have to agree with that. I recall when you first came to see me you mentioned it was like that when you worked on the campaign."

"Yes, so I had you run tests to be sure," Rory said.

"What? Why didn't I know about this?" Jess asked.

"It was before I officially moved here. I saw her that week I stayed with you when we went apartment hunting. She had an opening and I took it. We were just starting to be friends again," Rory said, "I didn't think you needed to know or if you'd even want to."

"You could have told me you were having tests. If not then, surely later when we got together," Jess said.

"Everything came back okay so I guess I never saw the point. Why worry you over nothing," Rory said.

"I guess that makes sense," Jess said, "So what will you do now? Will you run tests again?"

"We'll have the lab run the blood and I'll do a pelvic exam. We'll check everything to be sure nothings wrong," Dr. Sanders said.

"Okay," Jess said.

"Alright. Rory, do you want Jess to stay here for this?" the doctor asked.

"I don't mind," she said, turning to Jess, "You can stay if you want."

"We're in this together," Jess told her, squeezing her hand and giving her a kiss.

"Everything looks good," Dr. Sanders said as she removed her gloves and informing Rory she was free to sit up, "I'll leave you to get dressed and we'll call you when we have the results of your blood tests, but I am certain that it is all just stress, Rory. I'm sure once your body has had a chance to calm down everything will go back to normal."

"Thank you, Dr. Sanders," Rory said.

"You ready to go?" Jess asked, handing Rory her purse once she had finished dressing.

"Jess do you think maybe we could…" Rory began

"Our bags are already in the car. I packed while you took a shower," Jess said.

"I love you," Rory said as she threw her arms around his neck to kiss him.

"I love you, too," Jess said, kissing her back and then backing away to take her hand.

"Not yet," Rory said, holding him tighter to her.

"It's going to be okay, Rory. You're fine. The doctor said so," Jess said.

"I know she did," Rory said, stepping back from him a bit to wipe her tears.

"Then why the waterworks?" Jess asked as he moved her hands aside to wipe away the tears for her.

"For a moment or a few hours actually; until that first test read negative I really thought I was pregnant and as much the idea has always scared me, I wanted it. I really wanted it, Jess," Rory said.

"I know. I did, too," Jess said, hugging her again, "We can have it if you want."

"What?"

"If you want a baby we can try for one."

"You're serious."

"I am. It's your call, but if you're ready to have a baby, I'm ready to help you get one."

"I like the idea, but I don't want to make that decision right now. I'm too emotional for it. Deciding we want to try to have a baby needs to be made with sound, rational minds and I am far from that at the moment."

"Okay, we'll spend the weekend in Stars Hollow and we'll revisit this topic later?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

The drive to Stars Hollow was quiet. Jess wanted to say something to make Rory feel better, but nothing that came to mind sounded good enough. He was mostly just happy she wasn't crying anymore. He could tell she was holding it in though so they spent the two hundred mile drive to Stars Hollow in silence, holding tight to each others hands.

"Mom! Mom are you here?" Rory called, a little louder than she should have, forgetting for the moment that if Lorelai was home that her brother was probably sleeping.

"Sweets not that I don't love this surprise, but could you keep it down. I'm trying to get Hunter…" Lorelai began, but stopped at the sight of her daughter at the bottom of the stairs, the tears she'd been holding in since they left the doctor's office freely falling, "Oh Rory, honey. What's wrong?"

"Mom," was all Rory could get out before Lorelai placed Hunter down in the bassinet in the living room so she could hug Rory.

"Sweets you've got to tell me what's going on? Is it Jess? Did something happen?" Lorelai asked.

"No, it's not Jess," Rory said as Lorelai led her to sit on the couch, pulling her head into her lap so she could run her fingers through her hair.

"If it's not Jess, than what. Did something happen at the paper?" Lorelai wondered, "Where is Jess anyway? Did he come with you?"

"Yeah. He's at the diner. He wanted to talk to Luke and I wanted to talk to you alone first," Rory said.

"So far you're not doing much talking, kid," Lorelai said.

"I'm sorry. It's been a long, emotional day," Rory said, sitting up so she could tell Lorelai what's been going on, "I saw my doctor today."

"Your doctor like that doctor?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes. I left work early because I couldn't stop throwing up and on the way home I realized I was two weeks late."

"So you saw your doctor because you thought you were pregnant. That's nothing to be upset about, Rory. I thought you would be happy about this. You told me when I had Hunter that you and Jess talked about it."

"And we did. We want it, but."

"You're not pregnant are you?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, hon. So, if you're not pregnant than why are you late? Why the throwing up?"

"We tried a new Indian place last night. It was bad. And with all the traveling with the book tour and starting the wedding plans, it's probably just stress. My doctor thinks my body will sort itself out in a few days. She's having the lab run a few tests to be sure. They said they'd call in a few hours."

"Oh, sweets. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now."

"It seems crazy to be sad about something that never even existed and we weren't even planning to have a baby for awhile, but…"

"You wanted it anyway."

"Yeah. For a short time when I realized it was a possibility I wanted it. I could see it. A blue-eyed little boy with unruly hair, sporting a child sized leather jacket. I really want that Mom."

"And you'll have it, Ror, I know it. You and Jess will have all the little mini hoodlums your hearts can desire," Lorelai said, pulling Rory close to her to give her a hug.

"I love you, Mom," Rory told her.

"I love you, too, kid," Lorelai said.

* * *

After talking more and watching a movie while Hunter took his nap, Rory and Lorelai joined Luke and Jess at the diner for dinner.

"Hey, Rory. It's good to see you," Luke said when they came in, giving his step-daughter a hug.

"It's good to see you, too, Luke," Rory said, "Jess? Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

"Sure," Jess said.

"Is she alright?" Luke asked once they left the diner.

"Yeah or at least she will be. I feel really bad for them, but the fact that this is hitting them so hard just proves how great they'll be when that time does come. They both wanted so badly for Rory to be pregnant," Lorelai said.

"I know. I've never seen Jess so down before. If you'd asked me when he was seventeen if I thought he would be a good husband and father I would have said you were crazy, but now, I can't wait to see it," Luke said, "He loves Rory so much and he wants to be a dad. He'll be great at both."

"Yeah, he will," Lorelai said, squeezing the hand he offered her from across the counter.

* * *

"Dr. Sanders called while I was at Mom's," Rory told Jess when they got outside.

"And?" Jess asked.

"Everything's fine. All the blood work came back okay, but if I skip another period she wants me to come back in," Rory said.

"Do you think you will?" Jess asked.

"No, I'm sure it's just stress. All the in and out of airports and hotel rooms, traipsing all across the country, it can affect more than your sleep schedule," Rory said.

"I guess so. So, you're fine?" Jess wondered.

"Yeah, I'm good. I still feel a little sad, which is silly. I'm sad about something that never was," Rory said.

"It's not silly if you wanted it to be true," Jess said, "And remember, if you want it."

"I know. I thought about it a bit in the car on the way here and at Mom's while we watched a movie. I want to have a baby with you, but not now," Rory said, "I know it's old fashioned and we've been living together for year, but I want to wait until we're married to have a baby."

"Okay, that's cool. But if you change your mind?"

"I'll let you know. I love you, Jess."

"I love you, too, Rory."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: "You want to try your dress on every night?"

* * *

Not even a week later, Rory found herself back in Stars Hollow for the day after Lorelai called her the day before to inform her that her wedding dress had arrived. As much as it killed her to wait, Lorelai forced herself not to unzip the bag when she opened the box. She wanted to see the dress in person, but she wanted to wait until she could see Rory in it. Luckily for them Rory was off the day after it arrived and could drive up to Stars Hollow to try it on.

"So, I may not be back until late, but I will be back tonight since I have to work tomorrow," Rory said as she and Jess were eating breakfast Tuesday morning before she left for Stars Hollow and he went to work.

"Okay, just call me when you get there and when you're on your way back," Jess said, "That way I can have something ready for you if you're hungry."

"You're too good to me," Rory said, standing up from her place at the counter and kissing him on the cheek before taking her plate and coffee cup to the sink.

Almost immediately she was trapped between the counter and Jess when he came over to place his dishes in the sink, too. She loved the feeling of having him so close to her. They had talked a bit more about their pregnancy scare and continued to agree that they would wait until after they were married and possible be married for awhile before they started trying. They've kissed a ton and held each other at night, but ever since they read that negativity pregnancy test, neither had pushed for more and it was starting to get to them.

"Try not to be too late, though okay," Jess whispered in her ear as he placed an arm on the sink on either side of her and kissed up and down her neck.

"Mmm, Jess," Rory moaned, before turning around to face him so she could attack his lips with hers, "I love you, you know?"

"I kind of figured you did, but it's nice to hear," Jess with a chuckle, "I love you, too."

"Alright. I've got to get going before Mom's patience wears off and you have to get to work," Rory said, "So, I'll see you tonight."

"See you tonight," Jess said, kissing her once before releasing her from his arms, "Later, Book Tease."

"Bye, Dodger," Rory said, grabbing her keys and purse and walking out the door to leave Jess to finish getting ready for work.

* * *

Once she arrived in Stars Hollow, Rory stopped at Luke's to get coffee. Lorelai may be waiting, but would disown her if she turned up empty handed. She called Emily and Lane on her way to let them know her dress came in so they could come over to see her try it on.

"Mom," Rory whispered when she walked into Lorelai's room and saw her feeding Hunter.

"Hey, sweets," Lorelai said, adjusting her top as Hunter finished nursing.

"I've got coffee and danishes downstairs," Rory told her.

"Great, I'm starved," Lorelai said as she followed Rory down the stairs and placing Hunter in his crib in the nursery, "Four coffees? I know we can drink all of them, but since I'm nursing I'm only drinking two a day."

"I know, only one is for you," Rory said.

"And the other three?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, one is mine, obviously," Rory told, "and the other two are for Lane and Grandma. I called them on the way so they could see my dress. They should be over soon. I texted Lane while I was at Luke's and she just had to drop the boys at her Mom's and then she would be over."

"I'm guessing that's her now or possibly Mom," Lorelai said as they heard someone knocking on the door.

"Hey, Lorelai," Lane said when the door opened.

"Hi, Lane, come in," Lorelai said.

"Rory?" Lane called.

"Kitchen. I brought coffee and danishes," Rory said as she handed her a togo cup and offered her the plate of danishes.

"Oh, bless you. I needed this," Lane said as she took a big gulp of her coffee, "Kwan has an ear infection and I was up most of the night with him."

"Aww, Lane is he okay? You didn't have to come over if he's sick," Rory said.

"He'll be fine. He's been on antibiotics for a couple of days, but the pain gets really bad at night and nothing seems to soothe it," Lane said, "Zach and I have been taking turns staying up with him and last night was my turn."

"Oh, poor thing," Lorelai said as she grabbed herself a danish, "Have you tried _Wedding Bell Blues_?"

"What's that?" Lane asked.

"It's this old song from when I was a kid. When I was Kwan's age I got ear infections all the time and they were really bad," Lorelai told her, "I screamed and cried. The pain was awful, but one night while my mother was up with me that song came on the radio and I fell right to sleep."

"Really?" Lane asked.

"Really," Emily said having let herself in and catching the end of what Lorelai was saying to Lane, "Your boys are having ear infections?"

"Just the one, Kwan," Lane said, "Nothing works to help the pain."

"It couldn't hurt to try that song," Emily told her with a smile.

"I'll try it tonight. Thank you," Lane said.

"Grandma, I'm glad you're here. It's good to see you," Rory said, "I brought you a cup of coffee and there are danishes if you're hungry."

"Thank you, Rory," Emily said, taking the coffee that was handed to her.

"Great, everyone's here. Can we see the dress now?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, Mom, I'll go put it on and be down in a minute," Rory said, "It's in your closet, right?"

"Yep, do you need any help?" Lorelai asked.

"Nope, if I'm remembering correctly I can zip it up myself," Rory said, "I'd like you all to see it at the same time when I come down the stairs."

"Alright, well, holler if you need us. We'll be here," Lorelai said.

* * *

After practically running up the stairs, Rory rushed to Lorelai's closet and took her dress into the bedroom. She laid it on the bed and cautiously unzipped the bag as she took in the site of the dress she fell in love with the moment she saw it over a month ago. As she pulled it up over her body, Rory ran her fingers over the soft chiffon fabric and the delicate beading along the bust. After zipping up the back she took another look in the mirror before making her way downstairs to show off her wedding dress to the impatiently waiting women in the living room.

"Oh, Rory," Lorelai said as Rory stopped in front of them at the bottom of the stores.

"You look beautiful, Rory," Emily said, pulling her handkerchief from her purse to wipe the tears that fell when she first saw Rory.

"That dress is amazing, Rory," Lane said, "I love it and I love that it has your name. Well, your middle name."

"I know, other than the fact that it's beautiful, I love that part of name is in the dress," Rory said, spinning around so they could see the dress from all sides.

"You look incredible sweets," Lorelai said, "But it's missing one thing."

"What's missing?" Rory asked as Lorelai ran upstairs to her room.

"This is what's missing," Lorelai said as she placed a box on the coffee table and removed the object that was inside.

"Grandma's tiara," Rory said as Lorelai held the diamond studded piece in her hand.

"Yeah, I told you it was your turn after me," Lorelai said as she placed the tiara on top of Rory's head, "Perfect."

"Really?" Rory asked.

"You're the most gorgeous bride, Rory," Emily told her.

"Hey!" Lorelai said, "Well, I guess you're right. Rory does look gorgeous."

"I'd say it's better than my wedding dress, but Lorelai made that one," Lane said.

"I'll say it," Lorelai said, "It's incredible. I couldn't have designed a better dress for you, kid. I'm so glad you decided to look at dresses when you guys were in L.A."

"Thanks Mom," Rory said, "So does everything look okay? Is the length alright? I'm not sure what shoes I'll wear so we may need to hem it if I want to show them off."

"That's not problem. We have time for me to hem it or anything else. It looks great right now, but we'll give it another look a month before or so to see if needs to be hemmed or anything," Lorelai said.

"Sounds good," Rory said, "Okay, I'm going to go take this off and then we can discuss bridesmaid dresses."

"What are you doing, sweets?" Lorelai asked, seeing Rory come down the stairs with her dress in hand, "I thought you were leaving your dress here so Jess wouldn't see it."

"I'll hide it in the closet in the guest room," Rory told her, "Besides, if it's here I can't try it on whenever I want."

"You want to try your dress on every night?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, I do," Rory said, smiling at her grandmother.

"The Gilmore sign of good things to come," Lorelai said.

"Am I missing something here?" Lane asked.

"Grandma tried her dress on every night the week before her wedding to Grandpa. Mom did the same before she married Luke," Rory said.

"And now Rory wants to try her dress on all the time," Emily said.

"It's a sign that it's right. It's like the snow," Lorelai said.

"Snow is not a sign, it's weather," Luke said as he came into the living room having heard the last of the conversation.

"Hey, what are you doing home?" Lorelai asked as she got up to greet him.

"The toaster's busted again and my toolbox is here," Luke said.

"I keep telling you to get a second one so you don't have to keep taking it back and forth," Lorelai said.

"Yeah, Bert needs a friend," Rory said.

"Sure, I'll think about it," Luke said, "Anyway, I have to get back to the diner. I'll see you later. Emily, good to see you."

"You, too Luke," she said.

* * *

Over the next couple of hours the four of them looked over dress ideas for the bridesmaids. Rory had seen a few she liked when she picked out her dress and showed them pictures for suggestions. Both Lane and Lorelai liked Rory's color choice of ice blue and the idea of having a sash or some detail on the dress in navy blue. With the color choice on her mind, Rory ordered a few color swatches so everyone could have them while planning and shopping for things for the wedding. Emily also had the completed 'save the date' card and a sample invitation with her for Rory to take home.

"I just the rest of your addresses and the quote for the invitation and it's all set," Emily said, "Though we won't send the invitations out for months, they'll at least be done."

"I have the addresses in my purse and we're still working on the quote. We're trying to narrow it down, but there are so many books we've read that have incredible quotes and the classic Shakespeare one's," Rory said, "Plus we each used really good one's for Mom and Luke's wedding and we can't use them again."

"Don't worry, hun, you'll think of something," Lorelai said, "The wedding is still months away."

"Right. We don't need to send them out until March at the latest and they only need a week's notice to get them ready so there is plenty of time to choose a quote," Emily said.

"You know you could always use song lyrics," Lane said, "Like a line from one of your favorite songs or a band you both like. I can work on a list."

"That's not a bad idea," Rory said, "Thanks."

"No problem, but I should get going. I'd want to see how Kwan's doing. I'll probably take him home so he can rest and leave Steve with Mama for a bit longer so he can play," Lane said.

"Okay, thank you for coming. I miss you," Rory said, getting up to give her a hug.

"I miss you, too. You need to live closer," Lane said.

"I couldn't agree more," Lorelai said.

"Maybe someday, but for now, Philadelphia is home and I love it," Rory said, "See you later Lane."

"I suppose I should get going too," Emily said, "I want to get these addresses to the stationary store so she can get the 'save the dates' sent out. When will you be back in town?"

"Probably not until Thanksgiving," Rory said, "We'll be down for the whole weekend."

"Alright, well I guess I'll see you in a few weeks," Emily said.

"Yeah, see you then, Grandma, but I'll call you, too," Rory said.

"Good, it will be nice to hear from you," Emily said, "I'll see you girls later. Lorelai are you coming for dinner this week?"

"I am. Hunter is two months old now. I'd like to get him out of the house more," Lorelai said.

"Wonderful, I'll see you Friday, then," Emily said.

"See you Friday," Lorelai said.

"Bye Grandma," Rory said.

"And then there were two," Lorelai said.

"Well, technically three if you count Hunter," Rory said.

"True, so now that it's just us, how have you been?" Lorelai asked.

"Good. Fine," Rory said.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Lorelai asked, "Is everything alright with the whole possible pregnancy thing?"

"Yes and no. I'm fine. I feel good. We'll know for sure if everything's on track next week, but…" Rory said.

"What is it?"

"We haven't. Well, you know… We haven't, since."

"You haven't...Oh, OH!"

"Yeah."

"So, since you found out you could potentially be pregnant and then found out you weren't you and Jess haven't had sex?"

"Right. Is this weird cause I could go to Lane's and talk to her."

"A little, but if you want to talk about it and want my advice, I'm here."

"I don't know what's stopping us. We feel as close as ever. Maybe closer now that we've had this scare or whatever you want to call it and seriously talked about the future and having kids."

"That's good. Talking is good."

"Yeah, but that's all we've been doing and while it's good that we're talking about things, our feelings, our future; we were never really good at that before."

"No you weren't."

"But the other stuff, that part's always worked and now it's not."

"It's only been a few days, Rory. You were both incredibly emotional over the whole thing. It's going to take a little time to get past that. If you're not ready to be intimate again, there's nothing wrong with that. Don't rush it."

"But, I do want to and I'm sure Jess does, too. He even suggested I come back early tonight."

"Then what's the problem? If you both want to?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm scared."

"Of Jess?"

"No, of going through this again. Of thinking I'm pregnant just to find out I'm not. And he hasn't pushed for anything or tried anything so I think Jess is scared, too"

"Hon, you can't let that fear control your life. I know it will be hard if you think you're pregnant and the test is negative again, but you'll get through it. You are so strong, kid and Jess will always be there for you."

"I know. And I know I have you, too," Rory said, laying her head on Lorelai's shoulder as her mother pulled her into her side.

"And Luke, Lane, your grandparents. We're all here for you, for whatever and whenever you need us," Lorelai said.

"Thanks, Mom," Rory said, "Do you have any idea what I should do?"

"Well, while I don't want to think about it, you could try seducing him," Lorelai suggested.

"Seriously?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, why not? Think about what's worked best for you or when you had your best experience and maybe try and repeat it," Lorelai told her.

"I can do that," Rory said.

"Good, so new topic," Lorelai said.

"Sure, how about we go get lunch and then I'd like to get home. Prepare for the evening," Rory said.

"Lunch sounds good. Let me grab your brother and we can go," Lorelai said.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: "Damn, Gilmore, I want your sex life,"

* * *

After having lunch with her Mom, Rory went home to Philadelphia. She wanted to be home before Jess and had a few stops to make to get the supplies she needed for the evening. She also texted Matt and Chris, asking them to try and keep him at the store a bit longer just in case she needed extra time. She was going to follow Lorelai's advice and turn their apartment into a memory of some of their best moments together.

"Rory?" Jess called when he walked into their apartment later that evening. He knew she was home, he saw her car, but she hadn't called to let him know, "Rory, where are you?"

After setting his bag down on the counter in the kitchen he began walking towards the stairs that led upstairs, but stopped when the sunlight coming from the gap in the curtains on the terrace window glimmered against the silver wrapping of a few small objects laid on the floor, a path of the small chocolate candies leading him up to their bedroom.

"Wow! Rory what is all this?" Jess asked as he came into their empty bedroom, still wondering just where his fiancee was and what she was up to as he took in the sight of their bed covered in multi-colored rose petals and chocolate kisses. There was a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket on the nightstand next to two glasses as well as a plate of chocolate covered strawberries.

"Hi," Rory said softly as she walked out of their closet, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it, biting her lip and holding her head down slightly so her hair fell into her face, "Welcome home, Jess."

"And what a welcome it is," Jess said as he slowly walked towards her taking in the sight of her once again in her old Chilton uniform before threading his fingers into her hair and kissing her.

"Oh, Jess," Rory moaned when he moved away from her lips and began sucking on her neck as he pushed her coat off her shoulders, "I need you. It's been too long."

"Way too long," Jess agreed as he picked her up in his arms with her legs wrapping around his waist as he led them to the bed.

* * *

"I definitely was not expecting this when I came home tonight," Jess said a few minutes later as he and Rory laid on their bed, naked and happy, in each others arms allowing themselves time for the breathing and heart rates to return to normal.

"I missed you these past few days," Rory told him as he kissed her bare shoulder.

"I know. I missed you too, but I was…"

"Scared?"

"Yeah, you too?"

"Yeah, I was afraid if we…"

"You were afraid of thinking you're pregnant again and finding out you're not."

"Uh huh, is that stupid?"

"No, it's what I've been afraid of, too. It broke my heart to see you so upset when we found out you weren't pregnant."

"Even though we weren't planning it?"

"Yeah. I want us to have kids. I can't wait for that day, Rory. I would have been fine with us starting our family sooner than I thought we would and I guess I'd been avoiding being intimate with you out of fear of feeling that heartbreak again."

"We can't let our fears control our lives."

"That's true. So no more being scared."

"No more being scared."

"So what now?"

"Well, now, I think we should take the champagne and strawberries in to the bathroom and enjoy the bath I drew for us."

"Sounds, good to me," Jess said, getting off the bed and taking the champagne and strawberries into their bathroom before returning to get Rory, picking her up in his arms.

"I can walk, you know," she said.

"I know, this is faster and I need practice, remember," he said.

"Of course. I love you Dodger," Rory said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I love you too, Book Tease," Jess said, setting her down into the water before joining her, sitting behind her with her back to his front.

* * *

"Morning Rory," Lacey said when she and Kara walked into the break room at the paper to see Rory pouring herself her fourth cup of coffee for the day.

"Ugh," Rory groaned.

"Rough night?" Kara asked.

"Extremely," Rory told them with a slight giggle and smile.

"Damn, Gilmore, I want your sex life," Kara said.

"What, Matt isn't getting the job done?" Rory asked.

"Oh, he's getting the job done, I just imagine sex with Jess is amazing," Kara told her.

"Please don't imagine having sex with my fiance, it's creepy," Rory said.

"I can't help it he's so damn sexy that my mind wonders what it would be like," Kara said.

"Well, fine, but keep your inappropriate thoughts to yourself," Rory told her.

"Fine, so what's everyone got going on this weekend?" Kara asked.

"Besides work, not much," Lacey said.

"Yeah, me either. I'll either be here or locked up in the office at home working on my story," Rory said.

"Well, you have to take a break for dinner at least once, right?" Kara asked.

"Yeah, why?" Rory asked.

"Matt and I finally got everything unpacked in our new apartment so we'd like to have everyone over for dinner this weekend," Kara said.

"Cool, when?" Lacey asked.

"Is Saturday, okay?" Kara asked.

"That's fine," Rory said, "Should we bring anything?"

"A hearty appetite and your sex God fiance," she told her.

"Funny," Rory said, pouring herself a fifth cup of coffee and heading back to her desk to do some research.

* * *

"So, Kara and I want to have everyone over for dinner Saturday night, you guys in?" Matt asked Jess and Chris.

"Sure, we'll be there," Jess said.

"No problem," Chris said, "So, how's that going anyway, living together?"

"I love it," Matt said, "Kara's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"That's great man. It's nice to see you so happy," Jess told him.

"I could say the same about you. You seem happier then you have been lately," Matt said, "You have a good night last night?"

"Oh yeah, really good," Jess said.

"Damn, I've got to get me a live in girlfriend if it makes you two goofs so happy," Chris said.

"All you have to do is ask, you know," Matt told him.

"You think Lacey would be up for it?" he asked.

"Absolutely, but you won't know for sure unless you ask," Matt said.

"Maybe I will. I love her and she stays over here all the time anyway," Chris said.

"Then ask her to move in with you," Jess said.

"You really think she'll want to move in here? Live in that crappy apartment upstairs?" Chris asked.

"You never know, but you could always move into her place. She's there by herself now since Kara and I got our place," Matt said.

"Or you could get a brand new place like we did. Someplace that the two of you pick out together," Jess said.

"I'll think about it," Chris said.

"Good, think about it, but make sure you discuss it with Lacey, too," Matt said.

"I will," Chris said.

"Great. Okay, now we've got work to do," Jess said.

* * *

"Something smells good in here," Jess said when he came home from Truncheon and saw Rory at the stove, stirring something in a pot.

"It felt a little chilly when I left the paper so I decided to make us some tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner," Rory told him, facing him now, having turned around when he spoke.

"Well it smells amazing. That's not canned soup is it?" Jess asked, placing his hands on her waist.

"Nope. I stopped at the store and got that kind from the deli you like and added a few things to spice it up," Rory told him as she placed her hand around his neck, "You want to taste it?"

"Sure," he said, giving her a kiss before she turned back to the stove to get him a spoonful of the soup, "That's incredible, Ror."

"Thank you. I knew I wouldn't have the patience to try and make it myself and I know you hate the canned stuff, but I still wanted it to be different," she said.

"It's perfect," Jess told her, "I'm going to go run my stuff upstairs and then I'll be back to help you finish dinner."

"Okay, I love you," she said, kissing him and enjoying the taste of soup that lingered on his lips.

"Love you, too," he said.

"So did Matt talk to you and Chris about dinner on Saturday?" Rory asked as they sat at the dining room table enjoying their grilled cheese and tomato soup.

"He did. I'm guessing Kara mentioned it," Jess said.

"Yep. I can't wait to see their new place," Rory said.

"Rory, they moved into Chocolate Works. You lived there, you already know what it looks like," Jess said.

"It's not like they rented my old apartment and Kara already said the layout is different than what mine was," Rory said.

"True, so have you given any thought to what quote we should use for our wedding invitation?" Jess asked.

"Some. I've been listening to a few of the songs whose lyrics Lane suggested and going over lists of books we've read to figure out quotes we could use, but so far either there are way too many to choose from or I just haven't found the perfect one yet," Rory said.

"Well I may have something," Jess said, "One of Matt's poets was in today and he's big into classic poetry. Whitman and Emerson, that sort of thing."

"Okay, and?" Rory asked.

"And, he's also studied a bit of French poetry."

"French poetry? You want to put something in French on our wedding invitation."

"No, not something in French, he just mentioned this one poet he studied in school and remembered this one quote of hers that stuck out to him and thought it would work when I told him we still hadn't found the right one."

"Okay so what is it."

"Are we not like two volumes of one book?"

"I love it, it's perfect," Rory said grinning and getting up from her chair to sit in Jess' lap to kiss him.

"I thought so, too. It's right for us and for an invitation designed to look like a book," he said as he kissed her cheek.

"So the front will have our names and the inside will have that quote and the location details printed like a table of contents," Rory said.

"Perfect. And I love the 'save the date' card," he told her.

"I know, me too. I love that they put our picture so it looks like we're standing under the tree," Rory said.

"I can't wait to marry you," Jess said as he placed kisses along her neck and up behind her ear.

"Me either. Only seven more months," Rory said.

"Seven months. That seems so far away," Jess said.

"Maybe right now, but I'm sure the time will just fly by," Rory said.

"I hope so," he said as he pushed her top off her shoulder a bit to give him better access to her collarbone.

"If you're going to keep doing that we should move to the couch or continue this upstairs," Rory said.

"The couch is closer," Jess said, standing up with Rory in his arms to carry her to the couch, sitting with her still on his lap so she was straddling him, "Mmm, I love you."

"I love you, too," she said as they took their time removing each layer of clothing before giving themselves to each other.

* * *

Saturday night Rory and Jess joined Chris and Lacey as they all went to dinner at Matt and Kara's apartment. They had been dating for about a year and a half when they decided they wanted to live together so Matt moved out of the apartment above Truncheon and Kara moved out of the apartment she shared with Lacey and the two of them got themselves a little one bedroom in the Chocolate Works building that Rory first lived in.

"Hey, come on in," Matt said when he opened the door, "Did you come together?"

"No, just arrived at the same time," Chris said as they all walked into the apartment.

"The place looks great," Rory said, taking off her coat and handing it to Matt.

"Thanks, I'll put these away if you want to join Kara in the kitchen. She just opened a bottle of wine," Matt said.

"Music to my ears," Lacey said, taking Chris' hand and walking into the living room.

"Hey, Kara. I love what you've done with the place," Rory told her as she walked into the kitchen.

"Thanks, it's not much, but it's amazing what you can do in a small space," Kara said, "Wine?"

"Please," Rory said as Kara began pouring glasses for each of them.

Even though she was now a successful journalist, Kara had dabbled in a few other things before deciding on a career, including taking a year off before college to travel around Europe. She ended up spending six months at a French cooking school. The evidence of that, they found on their plates as Kara and Matt served them up the deliciously smelling coq au vin Kara prepared for them.

"This is amazing, Kara," Rory told her.

"Thanks. One of the few recipes I learned that stuck with me," she said.

"If you weren't such a good writer, I'd wonder why you weren't running your own restaurant," Lacey said.

"It is something I still think about," Kara said, "I mean I love my job and running a restaurant can be incredibly stressful, but I do love to cook and see the smiling faces of the people eating my food. It's very rewarding."

"Well, if you ever change your mind and want to open your own restaurant, we will definitely be behind you," Rory said.

"Thanks," Kara said, "So how goes the wedding planning? You got your dress in a few days ago, right?"

"Yep, I picked it up from my Mom's the other day and it's just as beautiful as I remember," Rory said.

"Picked it up so you have it here?" Jess asked.

"Yep, it's hidden away so you won't accidentally find it," Rory told him.

"That means we can see it though," Lacey said, "Since it's here."

"Of course. Yeah, come over anytime," Rory said.

"Excellent. I can't wait to see it. The pictures were amazing already. I bet it's gorgeous in person," Kara said.

"It is," Rory said, "The 'save the date' cards are done. You should be getting them in a couple of weeks I think. Grandma said she wanted to get them sent out before Thanksgiving."

"And we finalized our invitation, but those won't go out until March," Jess said.

"Sookie has the food covered, the location is set for the ceremony and the reception, we're doing that in the town square since it can accommodate the most people," Rory, "Mom's working on designing the bridesmaid dresses and is going to make the guys there ties in the same material as the girls dresses, navy for Jess and ice blue for the rest of the guys."

"We still have to pick out flowers, our song, and a few other little things, but mostly we're all set," Jess said.

"And you're okay with me not asking you to be in the wedding, right?" Rory asked Kara and Lacey.

"Of course, you've got to have your Mom and April," Lacey said.

"Plus you've known Lane forever and Paris as long as you've known Jess, it's only right," Kara said.

"Thank you for understanding. I wasn't sure how you would feel about it with Matt and Chris both being in the wedding," Rory said.

"Hey, it's cool. You just have too many friends to choose from. It's not your fault Jess is such a loner he had to go with the only two idiots to stick with him all these years," Kara said.

"Hey!" Matt said, "I'm not an idiot."

"Oh, but I suppose I am," Chris said.

"You said it, not me," Matt said.

"I really hate you sometimes, you know that," Chris said.

"I love you too, Bro," Matt said.

After dessert was served the rest of the evening was spent talking, the girls about more wedding details and the guys about Truncheon. At midnight they called it a night and said their goodbyes. Jess agreed to leave the apartment for a while Sunday afternoon so Kara and Lacey could come over to see Rory in her wedding dress.

* * *

 **AN:** If you're interested (and I hope you are) there is an adult version of the beginning of this chapter in Deleted Scenes from That Part Always Worked.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: "Yeah and I want to keep that so I'm thinking in a few months I'll starting signing my name as Rory Gilmore-Mariano,"

* * *

The week before Thanksgiving, Rory and Jess were flooded with phone calls and emails from friends and family who had received their 'save the date' cards, but hadn't yet heard in person from them or anyone else in the family about their engagement. Rory was surprised by a few of the calls she received. Emily had managed to track down addresses for a few people from Chilton and surprised Rory by inviting them.

"So Madeline and Louise are coming to the wedding," Rory told Paris when she called to discuss when Paris would be able to come to Stars Hollow for Lorelai to take measurements for her dress.

"Really? I didn't know you still talked to them. The last time I saw them was when we went to Florida for spring break," Paris said.

"Me too. That was the last I saw or spoke to them, but I guess Grandma ran into Louise's grandma at the club and they were talking about different things and when the subject of grandchildren came up and they realized Louise and I went to Chilton together, Grandma asked for her address to invite her to the wedding," Rory told her, "She and Madeline are living together in this big apartment in New York."

"How do you know they're coming? Just because they got their 'save the date' card doesn't mean they're going to come," Paris said.

"Louise called me. As soon as she got the card in the mail she called up her grandmother to track down my phone number," Rory said, "Jess and I are having dinner with her and Madeline when go back to Connecticut for Thanksgiving next week."

"In New York or are they going to be in Hartford?" Paris asked.

"Hartford. They're visiting for the weekend and asked if we'd join them for dinner Saturday night," Rory said.

"Saturday night? They're giving up a date night to have dinner with you and Jess," Paris said, "My how things have changed."

"It surprised me, too, but they are both dating, though," Rory told her, "Madeline is seeing some lawyer and Louise has been on a few dates with a doctor. They're both working through the holiday."

"Huh, well, Doyle and I were planning on staying in Boston for Thanksgiving, but maybe come down for the day and join you guys. Give Jess another guy around for the evening," Paris said.

"Yeah, that sounds good. It's not going to be anything fancy. Just dinner at Salute. I can talk to Mom and see about a room for you and Doyle if you don't want to drive back to Boston after," Rory said.

"Great. Thanks," Paris said, "Okay, well I have to go, but I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah, talk to you soon. Bye, Paris," Rory said.

"Bye," Paris replied.

* * *

"What's going on with Paris?" Jess asked when he came into the apartment that evening and caught the end of Rory's conversation.

"Nothing, really. We were discussing when she'll be able to go to Stars Hollow so Mom can measure her for her dress," Rory told him.

"Did you tell her about Madeline and Louise?" he asked.

"Yeah. And she and Doyle are going to come down Saturday to join us for dinner," she said.

"Good. It will be good to have another guy around and I can actually have a decent conversation with Paris. I never met the other two, but from how you've described them I think I'll be glad to have Paris around," Jess said.

"I agree. I like Madeline and Louise and I got along with them fine back at Chilton, but they can be a bit…" Rory began.

"Shallow?" Jess offered.

"Yeah. Though, I am looking forward to finding out what they've been up to. I haven't seen them in years. I wonder if they still look the same, what kind of jobs they have," Rory said.

"I guess it will be nice to catch up with them. You haven't seen them since that spring break you had in Florida, right?" Jess asked.

"Right and Paris hasn't either," Rory said, "So it will be nice for the both of us to see them again."

"Yeah, so dinner?" he asked.

"I have a ton of research to do so I was thinking we could just order a pizza," she said.

"Works for me. I'll let you get to work and call up Pete's," Jess said, "Special no onions?"

"Get some mac and cheese bites, too," Rory said.

"Okay."

* * *

Wednesday after work, the day before Thanksgiving Rory and Jess drove up to Connecticut. Since they were getting in late they went straight to the diner to turn in for the evening before they had to be up early to help the dinner Luke was going to be cooking at the house. Since it was Hunter's first Thanksgiving, Lorelai wanted to have a small family dinner at home. April was staying in New Mexico for Thanksgiving and Liz and TJ were at a renaissance fair so dinner would just be the five of them plus Richard and Emily.

"Mom, Luke?" Rory called as she walked into her childhood home Thanksgiving morning.

"Hey, Rory. Hey, Jess," Luke said, coming out of the kitchen, "Your Mom is upstairs giving Hunter a bath."

"Great. I'll go give her a hand," Rory said, giving Luke a hug and kissing Jess on the cheek before going upstairs.

"You want to give me a hand?" Luke asked Jess.

"Sure, I'd be happy to," Jess said before following Luke into the kitchen.

"So how is everything?" Luke asked.

"Good. Really good. Things are going well at the store. The guys are begging me to write another book, but right now I've got nothing more than a few sentences scribbled into a notebook," Jess said.

"And you and Rory? Everything's good there?" he asked.

"Yeah. We're good. We've got passed the whole almost pregnancy thing. We talked about, what we want. We're good," Jess told him.

"Well, good. You know you can always come to me if you need to. Call me anytime Jess, you know that," Luke said.

"I know. Thank you," Jess said.

"You're welcome," Luke said.

"Okay, so what can I do? Put me to work Uncle Luke," Jess said.

"How do you feel about peeling potatoes?" Luke asked.

"I hate it," Jess said with a laugh, "But the instant stuff suck so give me a peeler and I'll get to work."

While the guys worked on getting the Thanksgiving meal going, Rory helped Lorelai give her baby brother a bath and discussed their shopping plans for the weekend.

"Are you sure Jess will be okay watching Hunter tomorrow?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, he's looking forward to it," Rory told her, "Plus he's going to be watching him in the diner apartment so Luke will be right downstairs if he needs him. It will be fine. Trust me."

"I know. I do and trust Jess, too. He loves Hunter and I'm glad he wants to watch him," Lorelai said, "It's good practice."

"Yeah. He does love this little guy," Rory said, picking up her brother from his bath and wrapping him in a towel, "So do I."

"He is quite lovable," Lorelai said.

"That he is," Rory said, kissing his forehead as she laid him down on the changing table to dress him for the day.

"You look good with him," Lorelai said, "You're going to be a great Mom, you know."

"I hope so, but we've got a while before that happens. Jess and I talked about it and we're going to wait until we've been married for awhile before we try for a baby," Rory told her.

"That's not a bad idea. Enjoy being together and married for a bit before adding a third person to the mix," Lorelai said.

"Yeah. We want a baby that's for sure, but we want to enjoy just being Mr. and Mrs. Mariano for a while first," Rory said.

"Mrs. Mariano. Wow that sounds to weird," Lorelai said.

"Good weird though," Rory said.

"Yeah, definitely good weird," Lorelai agreed, "So you're taking his name?"

"I'm thinking of hyphenating like you did. I like being a Gilmore and that's what people know," Rory said.

"And you've made a name for yourself with your writing as a Gilmore," Lorelai said.

"Yeah and I want to keep that so I'm thinking in a few months I'll starting signing my name as Rory Gilmore-Mariano," she said.

* * *

After an enjoyable meal and spending time catching up, Richard and Emily went back to Hartford so Emily could get to bed to rest up before going shopping with Rory and Lorelai in the morning. Rory and Jess quickly followed after them to go back to the diner. Early Friday morning Jess got up and got a pot of coffee going for his fiancee and future mother-in-law before waking Rory up to get ready for her day of Black Friday shopping.

"What are we shopping for?" Lorelai asked as she and Rory drove to the Gilmore house in Hartford.

"I don't know. Anything, everything," Rory said, "It's not like I really need anything."

"Yeah, I guess I don't either," Lorelai said, "I suppose we'll just look and buy whatever jumps out at us."

"Sounds good to me," Rory said as they pulled into the driveway, "Looks like Grandma hired a car for the day."

"Looks like it," Lorelai said as they walked pass the limo towards the front door.

"Morning girls," Emily said, "Come in."

"Good morning, Grandma," Rory said, greeting her with a hug and kissing her cheek.

"Morning, Mom," Lorelai said, "Francine?"

"Good morning Lorelai, Rory," Francine, "I hope you don't mind, but I was speaking to Emily the other day and she mentioned your little shopping trip. I would like to come if that's alright with you."

"Of course, Grandmother, that's absolutely alright," Rory said, giving her other grandmother a hug, "It's good to see you."

"You, too, dear," Francine said.

"Alright, shall we?" Emily asked.

"Let's go. Time's a-wasting," Lorelai said before the four women headed out to the limo to enjoy their day of shopping.

* * *

"Come on buddy, work with me here," Jess said to Hunter as he held the almost four month little boy in his arms trying to feed him a bottle, "I know it's not quite the same getting it this way, but the milk's the same, so please, Hunter. Please, just drink the bottle. I know you're hungry. Oh, thank God."

"Not so easy is it?" Luke asked, walking into the apartment after hearing Jess' conversation with Hunter.

"No, I don't know how you do it," Jess said looking at the boy in his arms, finally drinking from the bottle Jess offered him.

"You just have to relax. Babies can sense when you're stressed. Lorelai has the same problem. If she's worried about something, Hunter can sense it and refuses to eat," Luke told him, "But once you calm down he's good. You did good, nephew, talking to him the way you did. You're pretty good at this yourself."

"You think so?" Jess asked.

"Absolutely and so does Lorelai and Rory. Lorelai wouldn't have been so cool with you watching him today if she didn't think you could handle it," Luke said.

"He's pretty cool for a baby," Jess said, placing the now empty bottle on the table and laying Hunter across his shoulder to burp him.

"You want to come down to the diner for a bit after you lay him down? You can bring the monitor with you," Luke said.

"No thanks. I think I'm going to write for a bit actually," Jess said.

"You get inspired all of a sudden?" Luke asked.

"Maybe. I'm not sure if it will turn into anything, but I think I just got an idea for a new book," Jess said.

* * *

As soon as she walked in the door, Lorelai threw her purse on the counter and ran up the stairs to see her baby boy, but shocked at what she saw she quickly made her way back downstairs to grab Luke and Rory to bring them upstairs with her.

"You guys have too this," Lorelai said, leading them up the stairs, "But be quiet."

"Aww! How cute," Rory said when they walked in, "I wonder how long they've been like this?"

"I'm not sure," Luke said, "I brought Jess up a plate of food a couple of hours ago and Hunter was in the crib."

"Well he's not now," Rory said, tearing up a bit as she snapped a few pictures of her fiance sleeping with her baby brother asleep on his chest, Jess' laptop laying next to them with his latest writings open for them to see, "Oh my."

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"Hunter's Tale," Rory said, pointing out the words on the screen to her mother, "I'm guessing it's a working title, but it looks like Jess is writing a children's book."

"With Hunter as the star," Lorelai said with a smile, "Why don't Luke and I go back downstairs so you can wake him."

"That's a good idea. Knowing Jess he'll be embarrassed if he wakes up to all three of us," Luke said.

"Definitely," Rory said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to Jess, running her fingers through his hair, "Wake up sleepy head."

"Rory?" Jess mumbled, opening his eyes slightly as he adjusted to the light.

"Hey. You two look pretty comfy," Rory said and Jess opened his eyes wider, noticing Hunter on his chest.

"Huh, I don't remember falling asleep. I was writing and he started crying. He wasn't wet and he didn't want a bottle so I just laid down with him and eventually stopped," Jess said, sitting up and handing Hunter to Rory to place him in his crib.

"You're writing a children's book?" Rory asked.

"You ready that?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, sorry. It was there and you looked so adorable asleep with Hunter I didn't want to disturb you. How long have you been writing that?" she asked.

"I got the idea today," Jess told her, "I was feeding Hunter this morning and I don't know it just came to me."

"Well, I like what you have so far," Rory told him, "I can't wait to read more. Do you have any plans for it?"

"Not really. For now I'm just writing. I don't know if it will be a book of short stories or a series of little books," Jess said.

"I think it's sweet that you're drawing inspiration from my baby brother," Rory said, kissing him.

"Thank you," Jess said before standing up to put the laptop away, "I'm guessing Lorelai is downstairs."

"Yep, we just got back," Rory said.

"And I'm sure she would like her son back so why don't you take him down there and I'll grab his stuff," Jess said.

"Okay," Rory said, kissing him again before going to pick up her still sleeping brother, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Saturday night, Rory and Jess met Paris and Doyle in Hartford and the four of them went to the Italian restaurant, Salute to meet up with Madeline and Louise for dinner. They were sitting at the table having just ordered drinks when the arrival of the two was announced by the two of them shouting out Rory and Paris' names as soon as they saw them.

"Rory Gilmore, you look fantastic," Louise said, giving her a hug, "Is this a new dress?"

"It is, bought it yesterday," Rory told her, "You look great, too Louise."

"Thanks, now introduce me us to that yummy fiance of yours," Louise said.

"Right, Louise, Madeline, I'd like you to meet my fiance, Jess Mariano," Rory said as Jess held a hand for them to shake, "Jess this is Louise Grant and Madeline Lynn."

"It's nice to meet you Jess," Madeline said, blushing a little as she shook his hand.

"I take it you're a fan," he said.

"Oh please, like Madeline reads," Paris said.

"You don't have to read his books to enjoy the picture of him inside, Paris," Louise said, ignoring Jess' outstretched hand to give him a hug, "It's a shame really that Gilmore always gets the hotties. I could have offered you so much."

"Louise!" Rory warned, "Don't hit on my fiance!"

"Fine, it's okay. I've got my own hottie now," she said as she took her seat after getting introduced to Doyle as well.

"Right, Rory said you're dating a doctor," Paris said.

"Yep, Joshua Kramer. He's in his second year of residency at New York Presbyterian," Louise said.

"What area is he in?" Paris asked.

"Obstetrics," Louise told her.

"How's he like it there?" Paris asked.

"He likes it. It's different. He grew up in the Midwest, but he always wanted to work in a big city," Louise said.

"And you like him?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, a lot. I mean we've only been out a few times in the month we've known each other with his busy schedule and mine, but I like him," she said.

"So, what are you doing, Louise?" Rory asked.

"I'm in the process of starting my own fashion line," she said, "I've always been into clothes and would make changes to clothes all the time so I figured why not."

"Plus your parents were sick of you just spending all their money," Madeline added.

"That's true, too," Louise said, "I don't have a lot yet. Just a few designs. I still need to find a place to set up shop to get my designs made and either set up a website or consider selling the designs to a store or something."

"That's great Louise. If you need anything just let me know," Rory said, "What about you Madeline."

"You are looking at one of the top beauticians in New York City," she told them.

"Really?" Rory asked.

"Yep. It all started when I went into my favorite salon a couple of years ago and my favorite stylist was out sick. I was fine with someone else doing my hair, but a few of the other people weren't. I've done my own hair a few times and I do Louise's all the time so I offered an opinion on what I thought would be a good look for this one lady and she loved it," Madeline said, "The owner asked if I worked anywhere and next thing I knew she was telling to go to beauty school so she could offer me a job."

"That's so cool and you like it?" Rory asked.

"I love it. I never thought I would like having a day to day job, but it's fun. I get to play with people's hair and makeup all day and get paid for it," Madeline said, "It's really cool."

"You'll have to show me some pictures and if I like what I see maybe I'll have you do my hair for the wedding," Rory said, "I already have a dress, sorry Louise."

"That's fine. Maybe I'll design something for the honeymoon," Louise said.

It turned out to be a nice evening for the six of them with Madeline and Louise telling Jess and Doyle stories about Paris and Rory from Chilton that they hadn't told the guys and even the kiss the two shared that they had neglected to tell their boyfriends about. Paris and Doyle stayed at the Dragonfly Saturday night and Sunday morning Paris met with Lorelai to get measurements so Lorelai could get to work on Paris' dress for the wedding.

* * *

When December came, Rory and Jess went back to Stars Hollow for Christmas, joining everyone at the Gilmore's for a big Christmas party. They even took a big family photo to honor Hunter's first Christmas. Rory and Jess were only able to stay in town for a few days before having to go back to work, but did come back for New Year's Eve.

Leaving the square just before midnight, Rory and Jess went to their bridge to ring in the new year, the year they were getting married in the place they were going to be exchanging their vows in less than five months.

"Only a few months to go," Jess said as they sat down with their feet hanging over the side of the bridge, "Are you excited?"

"Beyond excited," Rory told him as she laid her head on his shoulder when he placed an arm around her, "I can't wait to be Mrs. Mariano."

"And I can't wait for you to be Mrs. Mariano," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"It's almost midnight," Rory said as she looked at the time on the new watch Jess had given her for Christmas.

"Yep, thirty seconds to go," Jess said, placing a hand on her cheek as they listened to the townspeople counting down to the new year, "I love you, Rory!"

"I love you, too, Jess," she told him before placing her own hand on his cheek and kissing him, "Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!"


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: "The kid does worship me."

* * *

A few weeks into the new year, fourth months before they would have a new anniversary date to celebrate, Rory and Jess celebrated their second anniversary of being together again. A week after that Jess received a call from Luke asking him a favor.

"So, Luke called me today," Jess said as he was working on dinner while Rory set out plates for them.

"Is everything okay?" Rory asked.

"Yes, but he asked me for a favor. Or rather he was asking us a favor, but Lorelai doesn't know about it so he asked me," Jess said.

"What's going on?"

"He wants to take Lorelai away for Valentine's Day."

"Okay, what's that got to do with us?"

"He was hoping we would watch Hunter."

"Valentine's Day weekend?"

"Yes, and we can say no. He said we didn't have to if we want to keep the holiday to ourselves. He can change his plans or see if someone in town can watch him."

"They haven't been anywhere since their honeymoon. Where is he planning on taking her?"

"Hershey. He knows how much we loved it and Lorelai has said she would love to go someday so he figured why not that weekend."

"Were you not planning anything for us for that weekend?"

"The whole weekend, no. We just went away for your birthday and we're taking nearly a month off for our honeymoon so I figured it would best to work through the weekend and I'd cook us a nice dinner either over the weekend or on Valentine's Day."

"Working through it is probably a good idea considering I won't be working through our time away like with your book tour."

"So?"

"So...let's do it. I'd love to have my baby brother for the weekend. When will they bring him here?"

"Friday morning. I'll stay home that day so they can drop him off and they'll pick him up sometime Monday. We can figure out the rest of the schedule later."

"Okay, sounds good. Call Luke back and tell him we're happy to have Hunter for the weekend so he and Mom can go away for Valentine's Day."

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be okay while I go to work this morning?" Rory asked the morning Luke and Lorelai were due to bring Hunter over.

"Yes, Rory. I'll be fine. I have watched him before you know," Jess told her.

"I know you have, but that was at the diner and Luke and half the town were right downstairs," Rory said.

"Rory, relax. Hunter and I will be fine. Besides it's only for a few hours. You're coming home right after lunch," Jess reminded her.

"Right. Okay. Tell Mom and Luke bye for me and I'll see you in a few hours," Rory said, kissing him, "I love you. Call me if you need anything."

"I will. I love you, too," Jess said.

About an hour after Rory left for work Luke and Lorelai arrived with Hunter.

"Thank you for doing this Jess," Lorelai said, "I have no idea where Luke is taking me, but he's really excited about it and as much as I'll miss Hunter, I'm looking forward to some adult time."

"It's no problem Lorelai. We're happy to have him," Jess said, "Just bring Rory back a little something from where you're going."

"Something? You don't want to be more specific?" Lorelai asked, "How will I know what to get?"

"Trust me, you'll know," he told her.

"Oh, you know where we're going don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, but I'm keeping it to myself," he said.

"Fine. I guess I have to wait until we get there," she grumbled.

"Okay," Luke said after coming down the stairs, "I've got the portable crib all set up. I left his bag of clothes and things on the bed since I didn't know where you wanted to keep them."

"That's fine. I'll put them away it a little while," Jess said.

"You should have plenty of diapers and wipes and everything, too," Luke told him.

"And I put all the bottles in the kitchen and milk in the freezer with instructions on how to thaw and heat it up," Lorelai said, "There are also a few bottles ready in the fridge for you to have for today. Plus we started him on cereal a few weeks ago. It's on the counter. Just mix it with the milk. He only gets the cereal in the morning though."

"Okay, got it. Don't worry. We'll be fine," Jess said.

"I know. I know he'll be fine and you and Rory know what you're doing, but…" Lorelai began.

"You've never left him overnight anywhere before, I know," Jess said, "We'll call you as often as you want or you can call us whenever you want to check on him."

"Okay. You're right. I know you and Rory are perfectly capable of taking care of my baby," Lorelai said, "Okay, let's go before I can't."

"Alright. I left his car seat by the door. You know how to use it, right?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, no problem," Jess said, "Lorelai you going to hand the baby over?"

"Yes, okay. Bye sweetie. Mommy will see you in a few days. Be good for Jess and Rory," Lorelai said to Hunter, kissing his forehead before handing him to Jess.

"Thanks again Jess," Luke said, "We'll call you when we get there."

"Bye. Have fun," Jess said as they left, grabbing a soda from the fridge before sitting on the couch with Hunter, "I guess it's just you and me now kid. And you're going to be really good right. Nice and quiet. And you're going to save all the nasty diapers until your sister gets home, right?"

* * *

That afternoon when Rory got home she found Jess and Hunter in the living room. Jess had set out a blanket for Hunter and covered it in the toys Luke and Lorelai brought for him to play with. The two of them were sitting on the floor together playing with Hunter's stacking rings when Rory arrived.

"I'm home," Rory called as she set her purse on the kitchen counter and walked towards them.

"Hey, Ror. You have a good day at work?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, very good," she said, "Hey Baby Brother!"

At the sound of his sister's voice, Hunter turned his head to face her. Giving her a smile he moved to his stomach and attempted to hold himself up on his hands and knees. Lorelai had told them he had recently been making some attempts to try to crawl, but so far had not been successful.

"Jess, grab your phone," Rory told him as Hunter began scooting himself across the blanket towards her. It wasn't quite a crawl, but she wanted to get a video of it for her Mom and Luke, "We need to record this for Mom and Luke."

"Okay, I got it," Jess said as he began recording Hunter as he worked his way across the blanket towards Rory.

"Come on, Hunter, you can do it," Rory said as she knelt down on the floor, watching him attempt to crawl towards her, "Oh, good job baby brother. Did you get it?"

"Yep. That wasn't exactly crawling, but he did get over to you so that's pretty cool," Jess said.

"Yeah, it's awesome," Rory said picking Hunter up and kissing his forehead, "Send it to me so I can send it to Mom. Pretty cool to come home to Hunter reacting to my voice and trying to crawl to me."

"Very cool," Jess said, placing an arm around her as they sat down on the couch, "We missed you today, didn't we Hunter?"

"I'm sure he didn't even notice it was just the two of you. He loves his cousin Jess too much to notice anything else," Rory said.

"Well you've got me there," Jess said with a laugh, "The kid does worship me."

"Oh you think that's funny do you?" Rory asked Hunter as he giggled at Jess, "He's been good? No problems?"

"Nope. No problems at all. He took his bottle okay and napped for a bit, but mostly we've just been playing," Jess said.

"That's good. And everything is put away? All his clothes and everything?" Rory asked.

"Yep, I got everything put away while he was sleeping," Jess told her.

"Did you get any writing done?"

"Some. I was thinking now that you're home we could bundle him up and take him to the park or something."

"Sure. It's not too cold out today so that will be fine. Let me just go change and we can go."

* * *

After a couple of hours at the park where Rory and Jess took turns going down the slide with Hunter and pushed him in the baby swing they stopped by Truncheon to see how Matt and Chris were before heading home for the evening. While Jess prepared dinner for them, Rory played with Hunter and gave him a bottle before laying him down while they ate. Their first night with Hunter was going well until he woke up screaming in the middle of the night.

"Do you think he's sick?" Jess asked after they had already checked Hunter's diaper and found he was completely dry.

"He could be hungry. He didn't want all of his bottle earlier," Rory said.

"I'll go warm one up for him," Jess said.

"Okay, we'll be down in a minute," Rory told him, holding Hunter close to her and rubbing his back to try and calm him down, "Shh, it's okay sweet boy. Are you hungry? Jess is getting you a bottle right now."

"Hey, no luck calming him down?" Jess asked when Rory came into the kitchen.

"He's not screaming so that's a plus, but he's still really fussy. He keeps putting his hand in his mouth so I'm thinking he is hungry," Rory told him.

"Well, the bottle is ready," Jess said, handing it to her.

"Thank you," she said as she walked over to the couch to sit down with Hunter, "Come on, Hunter, take it."

"He's not eating?" Jess asked, joining her on the couch.

"No and I don't get it. He only took half his bottle before he went to sleep and he's not wet. I don't know what's wrong," Rory said.

"He's a little warm," Jess said, placing a hand on Hunter's head, "But he doesn't sound congested or anything so I don't think he's sick."

"But if he's warm then he must have a fever," Rory said, "A fever means he's sick. Should we call Mom and Luke."

"It's three o'clock in the morning, Rory. He's just a little warm. We've got thermometer. We'll take his temperature and go from there," Jess said, "We're two fairly intelligent people. I'm sure we can take care of him without worrying Luke and Lorelai."

"I suppose you're right. Why don't you grab the thermometer and I'll keep trying to get him to eat," Rory said.

"I'll be back," Jess said, giving them both a kiss on the forehead before going upstairs.

"Well his temperature is up, but only a little," Rory said as she looked at the thermometer in her hand, "99.7, he's still not eating, but I don't think he's sick."

"You think he could be getting a tooth in?" Jess asked.

"Maybe, he's the right age for it and he's been chewing on his hand a quite a bit since he woke up," Rory said, "Wash your hands and you can take a look. See if you feel anything."

"There's a slight bump on his lower gums, I bet that's it," Jess said, removing his finger from Hunter's mouth, "I'll check his diaper bag and see if they sent anything for this."

"Wet a washcloth and put it in the freezer before you go up so he can chew on it," Rory said.

"I found some teething tablets," Jess said, coming back down a few minutes later.

"Great, let's give him the tablet and hope it helps," Rory said, "He's calmed down for now, but I'll let him chew on the washcloth once it's frozen a bit."

"Okay, well do you want me to take him so you can get back to sleep?" Jess asked.

"No, I'm just going to stay down here. You sleep, I've got him," Rory said.

"Are you sure?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, I can stay home today and do my research here. I'll nap later when he does," Rory told him.

"Okay, well wake me if you need me," Jess said, kissing her before going back upstairs.

"Night Jess," Rory said.

"Goodnight. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Jess woke up a few hours later and after getting himself ready to go to Truncheon for a few hours he went downstairs and found Rory and Hunter asleep on the couch. After taking a couple of pictures of the two of them he carefully removed Hunter from Rory's arm so he wouldn't wake either of them and took him upstairs to his crib. After getting Hunter settled Jess came back for Rory, carrying her in his arm upstairs to their bed. He smiled at the way she curled her body in towards him.

"Jess," Rory said after he laid her down on the bed, pulling the blanket up to cover her.

"Shh, go back to sleep," Jess said.

"Hunter?"

"He's fine. He's still sleeping. I'm going into work for a bit, but I'll bring lunch back with me."

"Okay."

"And I'll give Kara a call so she can tell Michael you're working from home today."

"Thanks. I love you."

"Love you too. I'll see you later."

An hour after Jess left, Rory woke to Hunter crying. This time he was wet, but the tooth that was starting to come in was still bothering him so Rory gave him another teething tablet and his teething ring and set him in his high chair while she prepared his milk and cereal and a cup of coffee for herself.

"Hey, Mom. Are you having fun?" Rory asked, answering her phone while she fed Hunter his cereal.

"Tons, this place is incredible. I smell like chocolate," Lorelai told her.

"Well a chocolate spa will do that," Rory said.

"I guess so how's my boy?" Lorelai asked.

"He's good, he's fine," Rory told her.

"Uh oh, what's wrong? Everything's okay isn't it?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, but last night was a little rough," Rory said, "He woke up screaming and after trying a few things to calm him down we realized that he is getting his first tooth."

"His first tooth, oh poor thing," Lorelai said, "How is he now?"

"Okay for the moment. It was still bothering him when he woke up so I gave him a teething tablet and his teething ring. Jess put it in the freezer last night when he discovered what was bothering him," Rory said, "And now he's enjoying his cereal."

"That's good. Oh, my poor baby. I wish I was there," Lorelai said, "But everything's okay? You and Jess are doing okay with him?"

"Yeah, we're fine, Mom, don't worry. It was rough at first when he was screaming and crying, but now that we know what it is we're fine. We can handle it," Rory told her.

"Okay, if you're sure," Lorelai said.

"I'm sure. We're good. Just enjoy your time with Luke. Stop worrying. I will call you if anything's wrong," Rory said.

"Okay, give Hunter a kiss for me," Lorelai said.

"I will. Talk to you later, Mom," Rory said.

"Talk to you later, sweets. I love you," Lorelai said.

"I love you, too, Mom. Bye," Rory said, hanging up the phone, "Our mother is crazy, you know that? But she loves us."

* * *

Aside from a few moments of fussiness from Hunter the rest of the weekend went smoothly. Rory and Jess were both off on Sunday so they were able to spend the day at home with Hunter playing with his toys. They even took him down to the dog park on the property so he could play with a few of their neighbors dogs. And the tooth that was bothering him had completely come through by the time Luke and Lorelai came to pick him up Monday afternoon. The apartment was quiet after they left, but Rory and Jess enjoyed it by spending the night in cooking dinner together and enjoying their third Valentine's Day.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: "only two more weeks."

Over the next few months leading up to their wedding Rory and Jess made a few trips to Stars Hollow, Rory for a few more fittings for her dress to be sure it would fit perfectly. They also paid a visit to the inn to do a few tastings with Sookie on the final menu for the reception as well as the cake. In March, Emily made sure to get the invitations mailed out and even offered to handle all the RSVPs. She also made a trip to Stars Hollow one of the days Rory and Jess were there to get a good look at the bridge to help decide how best to decorate it for the day.

"So what are the plans for the bachelor party?" Chris asked Jess while they were stocking a few shelves at Truncheon.

"There isn't going to be one," Jess said.

"What? Rory's not letting you have a bachelor party?" Matt asked.

"No, I just don't see the point in having one," Jess told them, "We've known each other since we were kids and we've been living together for over a year. I don't see the need for a last hurrah."

"Your wedding is just a couple weeks away. In two weeks you'll be a married man, legally tied to the same woman for the rest of your life," Chris said, "You need honor the end your days as a single man."

"I haven't been a single man since the day Rory first kissed me when we were seventeen," Jess said.

"Fine if you don't want a typical bachelor party with drinking and strippers, we should at least just go out and have fun," Matt said, "We can even include the girls if you want."

"That's not a bad idea," Jess said.

"Okay, so you talk to Rory and we will talk to Kara and Lacey," Chris said.

"Sounds good," Jess said.

"So Kara and Lacey were trying to talk me into going to a strip club or something tomorrow night," Rory said when she and Jess sat down for dinner when he got home.

"Matt and Chris did the same," Jess said, "Do you want to go?"

"No, do you?"

"I've only ever wanted to see one woman naked since she first kissed me when I was seventeen and I'm blessed to get to see her everyday for the rest of my life."

"Sap, but thank you. That was sweet, Jess."

"I try."

"So, no bachelor party?"

"Nope, and no bachelorette party?"

"No, but we should do something, shouldn't we?"

"The guys and I were talking about the six of us going out tomorrow night together to celebrate the fact that our wedding is two weeks away."

"Two weeks, wow that's close."

"You nervous?"

"Nope."

"Me either."

"I can't wait to marry you, Jess."

"Me too," he said, kissing her, "Since we're on the subject. Everything's good to go right? The flowers are ordered, the food's all planned?"

"Yep, Sookie's got the food covered. My dress is good to go. Luke is picking up your tux when he get's his and Hunter's and Grandma is taking care of the flowers," Rory said.

"It's good that you gave her free reign over something," Jess said.

"Yeah, she's actually been really helpful with everything, but I knew choosing the flowers would be better if she just did it all. I know nothing about flowers and Grandma will pick the best one's for our wedding at the bridge," Rory said.

"And you're set on this whole writing our own vows thing?" Jess asked.

"Absolutely. If any two people in the world could write better vows than the generic, boring stuff that everyone else uses it's us," Rory said, "Why have you changed your mind?"

"No, I'm just finding it difficult to put it all into to words. It's like what I want to say just keeps coming out wrong," he said.

"You'll figure it out and if all else fails just use a bunch of quotes. You know, maybe one right after the other," she said, "As long as you leave out all Hemingway, you'll be fine."

"And the same goes for you and Rand," he said.

"Fine," she said.

* * *

The next evening after having dinner, the group went to their favorite bar for drinks.

"A round of shots Nate and keep them coming," Chris said as the six of them walked into the bar.

"You guys celebrating something?" the bartender, Nate asked.

"Yep, those two," Matt said, pointing to Rory wearing the 'Bride-to-Be' sash the girls insisted on and Jess in the 'Future Mr. Rory Gilmore' shirt the guys made for him, "are getting married in two weeks."

"Congratulations guys," Nate said handing the first two glasses to Rory and Jess, "First round is on the house."

"Thank you," Rory said.

"Yeah, thanks man," Jess said.

"Okay, you two grab a table and we'll get more drinks," Chris said.

"So is this better than a strip club?" Rory asked as they sat down.

"Much better. Did I ever tell you about TJ's bachelor party?" Jess asked.

"No, what happened?" Rory wondered.

"We went to this crazy place that had mud wrestling strippers," he told her.

"Mud wrestling strippers? Seriously?"

"Oh yeah. I spent the whole night reading while TJ and his brother watched the girls and had a riveting discussion about whether or not a lap actually exists."

"What?"

"Don't ask, so anyway I just read the whole time or most of it until the fight broke out."

"What fight?"

"TJ was talking to me about walking Liz down the aisle."

"Which you ended up doing."

"True, but I really wasn't into it. I never saw this marriage lasting, the other's didn't and I didn't feel like I should act like I cared when she never did, you know."

"Yeah, I get that. You know I actually wasn't sure at first if I would ask my dad to walk me down the aisle."

"Who else would you have, Luke?"

"I considered it. Him or my mom or I even thought about skipping the tradition and just walking myself," Rory said.

"What made you change your mind?" Jess asked.

"It doesn't matter to me who gives me away or who comes to our wedding. All that matters is that it's you at the end of the aisle so I figured if it makes him happy to give me away, I'll let him do it," Rory said.

"Yeah, that's kind of why I agreed to do it and even come to the wedding at all. It didn't mean anything to me, but it meant a lot to Liz and Luke that I came," Jess said.

"Right, okay so back to the fight. How did you go from TJ asking you to walk Liz down the aisle to a fight?" Rory asked.

"I told him no. He didn't want to hear it so he grabbed my book from me and I shoved him," Jess said.

"Wow, must have been one of your prized Hemingway's," Rory said.

"Funny, anyway, it became this all out brawl with everyone attacking each other when Luke tried to break up me and TJ," Jess said.

"Wow. I can't believe you and Luke got into a fight with your stepdad just before your mother's wedding. That's crazy," Rory said.

"Yeah, well, at least that won't happen tonight," he told her.

* * *

"Okay, here we go everybody, round two," Matt said as he set a tray of drinks in front of them.

"A toast," Kara said, raising her shot glass, "To Rory and Jess. Two more weeks of freedom"

"To Rory and Jess!"

As the night when on the group, besides Rory and Jess, took turns buying drinks for all of them as they shared stories about relationships gone bad and other little funny anecdotes. After a few drinks the girls decided to give karaoke a go and picked a trio of Spice Girls songs to serenade the crowd with. The guys followed them by serenading their girls and the crowd with "I'll Never Break Your Heart" by the Backstreet Boys.

After several hours and more than enough drinks later each couple got into their own cab to go home for the evening. Rory and Jess had just the coming week of work before they would be off for three weeks. They were taking off the week leading up to the wedding so they could be in Stars Hollow to help with any last minutes details, though Lorelai and Emily had a pretty good handle on everything. Then they were taking two weeks off after the wedding for their honeymoon in Europe.

As they laid together that night before falling asleep, they held each other, each with the same thought on their mind, "only two more weeks."

* * *

 **AN:** So, this chapter is incredibly short and it's basically filler, but I haven't written or posted for this story in a very long time so I wanted to give you a little something before we get to the wedding which I want to devote time to, to make it perfect. Thanks for reading!


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: "Always better in a cone,"

* * *

The week before their wedding Rory and Jess slept in since they didn't have to go into work until after their honeymoon and weren't expected in Stars Hollow until later in the evening.

"Good morning Book Tease," Jess said as he kissed the top of Rory's head when he felt her breathing change against his chest indicating she was awake.

"Morning Dodger," Rory said, kissing his chest as he ran his fingers up and down her back, "It's been awhile since we slept this late."

"And we don't have anywhere to be for a while," Jess told her, rolling over so she was on her back with him on top of her, kissing her face and neck, "I plan to take full advantage of that fact."

"Jess, what are you doing?" Rory asked as he started sucking on her collarbone while running a hand underneath her top.

"I'm trying to make love to my fiancee," he said kissing her again, "Do you not want me to?"

"Well…" Rory began.

"Are you serious?" Jess asked, sitting up on the bed.

"It's just I was thinking," Rory said.

"That's never good," he said, earning himself a slap on the arm, "Kidding, what were you thinking?"

"Well, I was thinking that to make our first time as husband and wife special, how about we abstain until then," Rory said.

"You're serious? Rory we've been having sex for two years, abstaining for a week is not going to make our wedding night any different," Jess told her.

"It could, you never know," she told him.

"You really want to do this?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," she said.

"Fine," he said, kissing her forehead and getting out of bed.

"Jess don't be mad," Rory said, following him out of the bed.

"I'm not mad, but if I'm not allowed to touch you for the next seven days I am in need of a cold shower," Jess said, looking her over as she stood in front of him in her tank top and boyshorts she wore to bed, "A very cold shower."

"Have fun," she said, giggling as he walked into their bathroom while she got to work making their bed.

* * *

"Okay, remind me again why we packed an extra bag for our honeymoon?" Rory asked looking at the two bags that held her and Jess' stuff for their planned honeymoon through Europe and the third small bag that Jess insisted he be left to pack himself.

"Because we're not going directly to Spain after the wedding. I have plans here for a couple days," Jess told her, "We're leaving Tuesday for Spain."

"So that explains the bag you insisted I let you pack. I'm guessing it has both our clothes for whatever you have planned?" Rory asked.

"Yep."

"And you're not going to tell me what that is?"

"Nope."

"Back to monosyllables, great."

"Rory."

"Oh, two, we're moving up in the world."

"Will you let me talk?"

"Yes."

"Good. Okay, so as you know we will be spending our wedding night at the Dragonfly."

"Yes and then I thought we were going to leave straight away for our honeymoon after that."

"We are, we're just starting it here instead of Europe. We'll drive to my secret destination for us Sunday morning, then go back to Stars Hollow to pick up our bags and go to the airport where we will leave for Spain."

"And there's nothing I can do to get you to reveal this secret destination of yours?"

"Not a thing."

"Not even if I go back on this whole no sex thing?"

"Not even then. I've been planning this for months. I'm not revealing it now. You're just going to have to wait and be surprised."

"Fine. Okay, let's go. You're irritating me with your secret keeping. I need Luke's coffee."

* * *

Arriving in Stars Hollow after the three and half drive from Philadelphia they parked outside of Luke's to bring in their things to the apartment where they would be staying for the week.

"Hey it's the future Mr. and Mrs. Mariano," Lorelai said when Rory and Jess walked into the diner.

"Luke, your nephew is being mean to me, I need coffee," Rory said sitting down at the counter while Jess brought theirs bags upstairs.

"Lorelai, your daughter is being meaner to me. Anyone have a drink?" Jess asked, sitting next to Rory when he came back downstairs.

"My don't we seem like a happy, in love, soon to be wed couple," Lorelai said, "What's going on?"

"We're not leaving for Spain until Tuesday," Rory told her.

"Okay, I'm going to need a few more words here," Lorelai said.

"We are going somewhere else after we leave the inn on Sunday and Jess won't tell me where," Rory said.

"So you're mad at your future husband because he wants to surprise you with some possibly big romantic gesture that you'll most likely love and adore him for, for years to come," Lorelai said, "You're really telling me you're mad at him for that?"

"I guess I'm not so much mad as irritated. I know I'll love whatever surprise he has, but I still don't like them," Rory said.

"Tough, it's sweet that he wants to surprise you," Lorelai said before turning to Jess, "Now you, what has my darling angel child done that's so mean?"

"Yeah, Jess, tell her how I'm so mean to you," Rory said, trying to hide her smile.

"I'd much rather not announce it to the entire town, especially certain townspeople," Jess said, with a nod towards Luke.

"Oh come on, you can't say Rory is being mean to you and not tell me what…" Lorelai began, but at seeing Rory trying not to laugh and how uncomfortable Jess felt discussing it, "oh, Oh! Wow! Really? Why?"

"I just want it to be special," Rory said.

"Need I repeat to you what I said two years ago?" Jess asked.

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"I don't need anything special or any sort of theatrics. I just need you," he told her.

"Aww. That's adorable," Lorelai said.

"Yeah, he can be a big sap when he wants to be," Rory said, running her fingers through Jess' hair and giving him a quick kiss.

* * *

Monday morning Rory joined Jess and Hunter at the elementary school playground after she got up. While the nine month was having fun in the sandbox playing with a few toys and enjoying the feel of the sand through his fingers, Jess sat on the side, barefoot with his toes buried in the sand, writing in his notebook in between glancing at Hunter each time he giggled or Jess heard him move around.

"How long have you guys been out here?" Rory asked, taking a seat next to her fiance, laying her head on his shoulder as he placed an arm around her.

"A couple hours," Jess said, kissing the top of her head, "You and Lorelai were up so late last night Luke and I decided to let you girls sleep in."

"Thank you. Since we went over so much at Grandma's during the afternoon yesterday we needed a break. A classic Gilmore movie night was just the thing," Rory said.

"And you're happy with everything Emily picked out?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, aren't you?" Rory asked.

"Of course, I was just checking. Your grandmother can go a little overboard sometimes so I just wanted to be sure you were okay with everything," Jess said.

"I'm good. She get's that we want simple and I think her visiting the bridge and seeing how beautiful it was on it's own really helped reign her in and keep all the flowers and decorations minimal," Rory said, accepting the toy Hunter was holding out to after crawling over to her when he heard for voice, "Thanks, Buddy. Are you having fun with Jess?"

"I'm guessing that smile is a yes," Jess said, taking the toy Hunter offered him.

"I'm sure he'll be talking in no time, but I would love to know what he's thinking," Rory said.

"You really think he'll be talking soon?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, Mom says he's been giggling more and making more noises. She says it like he's already talking, but just in his own language," Rory said, "He's been trying to stand up a bit on his own in his crib."

"So looks like he'll be walking and talking before we know it," Jess said, "But until then, we have this."

"Your writing?" Rory asked, "You have more?"

"Yeah, it helps to have my inspiration right in front of me," Jess said, handing the notebook to her.

"You're still going with Hunter's Tale?" she asked.

"For the moment. I'm not sure yet if I want to publish it as one long book of short stories or flesh them out a bit and publish a few small books," Jess said.

"Well whatever you do I think it will be great. What you have so far is amazing, Jess," she told him.

"Really? You think so?" he asked.

"Absolutely. I love it. I love how you've tailored them from Hunter's perspective. It's really cute seeing the world from a baby's eye view," Rory said.

"Yeah, it's something different. I never saw myself writing a kid's book, but I like it, it's fun," Jess told her.

"And you know when he's a little older he'll really get a kick out of hearing all the many adventures of Prince Hunter and his Kingdom of Sand," Rory said.

"True, it will be fun to hear him laugh and give his thoughts on the stories once he's old enough to understand," Jess said.

"Yeah, so what's on the agenda for day?" Rory asked.

"All the wedding stuff is pretty much done, right?" Jess asked her.

"Yeah, our dresses are good to go, all the RSVPs are in, Grandma has the flowers and all the decorations for the bridge handled. Her and Grandpa will arrive early Saturday morning to oversee the setup," Rory told him, "And Mom's got basically the whole town helping get the square ready for the reception."

"And she's managed to get Taylor to give in to our one culinary demand?" he asked.

"Yep, Sookie has the rest of the food covered and the cake, but Taylor will have his ice cream truck all set up ready and waiting to serve whatever ice cream we want," Rory said.

"In cones?" Jess asked.

"Of course, cause ice cream is so much better in a cone," Rory said interlacing her fingers with his and kissing his cheek.

"Always better in a cone," he said.

* * *

The rest of the week flew by for Rory and Jess as they counted down the days until their wedding. April came in from New Mexico Thursday evening and announced to everyone that she had decided to go to Columbia. As much as she liked Yale and loved the idea of following in her step-sister's footsteps she had always had her heart set on living and going to school in New York ever since she was little.

"You know if I didn't know you Rory Gilmore, I'd think you were sneaking off to meet with your boyfriend," Jess said when Rory climbed back into bed with him late Thursday night, "Your dress still fit?"

"Fits perfect," she told him, snuggling into his side with her head on his chest.

"I'm glad," he said, kissing the top of her head, "But you know what else fits?"

"Hmm?"

"You, right here in my arms."

"I love you, Jess."

"I love you, too, Rory."

* * *

 **AN:** Let the wedding festivities begin! Next chapter will be the actual wedding. I am also considering ending this story after the wedding. I'm going to write a bit of the honeymoon since I have a couple places I know I want them to go, but after that I'm considering ending this story and continuing my Rory and Jess saga in a yet to be named sequel one year later. It would pick up around their first anniversary as they celebrate their first year of marriage and continue on through the first few years of married life as they start their family. Thoughts?


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: "We all do,"

* * *

Rory woke Saturday morning to an empty bed. To keep with the tradition of separating the bride and groom the night before the wedding, Luke stayed at the diner apartment with Jess and Hunter so Rory could stay at the house with Lorelai and have a wedding themed movie night. April opted to stay in a room at the inn so she could help Sookie in the morning if she needed it before she got ready for the wedding and she wanted to help get the honeymoon suite ready for Rory and Jess.

"Good morning Mrs. Mariano," Lorelai said from her spot on the chair across from the bed in her room.

"Not yet, but only," Rory began before grabbing her phone off the nightstand, "six more hours. How long have you been sitting there waiting for me to wake up?"

"Oh, just an hour or two," Lorelai said, "so come on, get up. Luke got up early and brought breakfast."

"What time is Grandma coming?" Rory asked as she got out of the bed to put on her robe.

"To town, her and your grandfather should already be on there way. The florist is supposed to be here at ten and Mom wants to be here to supervise and make sure they get everything exactly the way she wants it," Lorelai told her, "Then she and Dad will go to their room at the inn to get cleaned up and dressed before coming over here."

"Sounds good. I am really glad I let grandma handle the flowers and everything and that the town has taken it upon themselves to decorate the square," Rory said as they sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee and starting in on the breakfast Luke brought for them.

"Me too. Having everyone else help gives us the chance to relax and focus on getting ready," Lorelai said, "Paris is coming here to get ready, isn't she?"

"Yep, her, Lane, and April are supposed to be here in a few hours so everyone can do their hair and makeup," Rory said.

"And we're putting your hair up, right?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, having it up will look best with the tiara and then also I won't get too hot."

"Plus it will show off a necklace, too. Which one are you wearing?"

"Not sure. I've got both the necklace and bracelet Jess gave me, but I haven't decided if I want to wear them or maybe borrow something so I can have my something borrowed."

"Sure, whatever you want."

"Thanks, so the tiara is my something old, my dress is new. Does that count since it's a requirement for the wedding?"

"I think so."

"Good and I got a garter in the same ice blue as the bridesmaid dresses."

"So you're covered on everything, but the borrowed. You want to have a look at some earrings? I have some drop one's that will look nice with your hair up and go with the tiara."

"Sounds good."

* * *

Once they finished breakfast and Rory had gotten her shower and was just sitting in the bedroom in her wedding lingerie and her robe waiting to get her hair and makeup done, April came in.

"Hey, guys," April said, coming into Lorelai's room.

"How's everything looking?" Lorelai asked.

"Good. The cake looks amazing. Sookie really outdid herself. She has everything prepped and ready to go so that the kitchen staff can get the food going while she attends the wedding," April said.

"Good, good. How's the square look?" Lorelai asked.

"Amazing," April said, "Jess is looking good, too."

"You saw Jess?" Rory asked. "

"Yep, I wanted to stop in and say hello before I came over here," April said, "He gave me this to give to you."

"Another little blue box," Lorelai said.

"Oh, wow," Rory said opening the box to reveal the necklace that was inside, along with a note from Jess.

 _Book Tease,_

 _Here's a little something blue and new that I'm sure will look_

 _amazing on you as you come down the aisle to greet me._

 _See you soon. I love you._

 _Your Dodger._

"It's beautiful," Lorelai said, looking at the platinum necklace with a diamond and ice blue pendant.

"I guess I know what necklace I'm wearing," Rory said, "April would you mind taking something back to Jess for me?"

"No problem," April said, "I'll be back in a bit."

"What did you get Jess?" Lorelai asked.

"Cuff links. They're diamond and ice blue. Pretty similar to this necklace actually," Rory told her.

"Nice," Lorelai said.

* * *

While the girls were getting ready at Lorelai's house, Luke and Jess were getting ready at the diner. Zach and Lane were going to get ready at home before going to the diner and Lorelai's house after they dropped the boys off at Mrs. Kim's. And Jess' other groomsmen, Chris and Matt were getting ready at their room at the inn before joining all the guys at the diner.

"So, you nervous?" Luke asked Jess as he dressed Hunter in a play outfit. They would put his tux on him right before the wedding, just before putting him in the wagon that Gigi would pull him in as she walked down the aisle.

"Not at all. I feel like I've been waiting for this day my whole life," Jess told him, "Did you feel like that when you married Lorelai?"

"Oh yeah. I knew I wanted her in my life from the moment I met her," Luke said.

"You guys decent?" April asked as she slowly opened the door.

"Yeah, come on in," Jess said.

"Wow, Dad you clean up nice," April told him.

"Thanks. You're not dressed yet. I thought you were going over to the house to get ready," Luke said.

"I did or I was, but I had to bring this to you," she said, handing the small box Rory gave her to Jess.

"Thanks, Cuz," Jess said giving her a hug, "So how's it going over there? Rory's not nervous or going to back or anything, is she?"

"You did not just seriously ask that question?" April asked, "Of course not. She's excited. You guys have been in love forever. We've been waiting on you two nearly as long as we waited on Dad and Lorelai."

"Hey, now we're not that bad," Jess said with a laugh, "She liked the necklace?"

"She loved it. Are you going to open yours?" April asked.

"Oh right. Wow. These are great," Jess said, taking the cuff links out of the box, "Can you give me a hand?"

"Sure, no problem," April said, taking the cuff links from Jess and putting them on the sleeve of his jacket, "You know I really like the colors you guys chose. That ice blue with the dark navy is really nice. It's simple and elegant."

"That was all Rory. She saw a dress in ice blue when she picked out her wedding dress and fell in love with the color," Jess said, buttoning up his tux, "Well?"

"You look amazing Jess," April said.

"Uncle Luke?" Jess asked.

"You look good kid," he told him.

"Thanks," Jess said.

"Alright, well I better get back to the house," April said, "See you guys in a little while."

* * *

"Hey, Paris, you just get here?" April asked, walking into the house.

"About five minutes ago," Paris told her as they made their way upstairs to Lorelai's room to get ready.

"Wow, Rory you look, wow," April said as they walked into the room and saw Rory sitting in front of the mirror as Lorelai worked on her hair and makeup.

"I did good, huh," Lorelai said.

"You did great Mom," Rory said, "Thank you."

"Anytime, kid," Lorelai told her, "Okay, who's next?"

The next hour was spent getting the other women ready. Lorelai did Paris and April's hair before doing her own. After all the women were ready and dressed they got Rory into her dress. An hour before the ceremony was due to start Richard and Emily stopped by to see their girls and ensure everyone things were ready.

"Oh, wow, Rory you look incredible," Emily said, "That dress is even more beautiful than I remember."

"Thanks Grandma," Rory said.

"You're an absolute vision, my dear," Richard said.

"Thanks Grandpa. Thank you both for everything," Rory told them.

"It was our pleasure. Is that a new necklace?" Emily asked, noticing the necklace around her neck.

"Yes, it's a wedding present from Jess," Rory told her.

"It's gorgeous. I've always said it's important to find a man who can pick out your jewelry," Emily said.

"And Jess picks very well," Lorelai said.

"That he does," Rory said.

"Anybody in here getting married?" Christopher asked knocking on the door as he and Gigi walked in.

"Hey Dad," Rory said, hugging him and Gigi.

"Hi, Kiddo. You look amazing. Jess is a very lucky man," Christopher said.

"Thanks Dad. Gigi you look very pretty. I like the flowers in your hair," Rory said, noticing the wreath of ice blue and white flowers with a navy ribbon that was on top of her head.

"Thanks, Rory, you look pretty, too," Gigi told her.

"Thank you. I need just one last thing to make it perfect," Rory said, grabbing the box with the tiara from Lorelai's dresser, "Mom, will you do the honors?"

"Absolutely," Lorelai said, taking the box from her, handing it to Christopher so she could take the tiara out and place it on Rory's head, "Now you're perfect. You're ready to get married."

"Oh, Mom, don't start crying now," Rory told her.

"I can't help it kid. My baby girl is getting married," Lorelai said, wiping away a few stray tears before accepting the handkerchief Christopher held out for her, "Thank you."

"Anytime," he told her.

"Alright, well we should all head out. We've got a wedding to get to," Richard said.

* * *

Arriving at the bridge, Rory, Lorelai, and Christopher went into the tent they had set up away from the guests so no one would see Rory and so she wouldn't see what the bridge looked like. Rory decided to trust her Grandmother and be surprised by all the flowers and decor when she walked down the aisle.

While Rory and her parents waited in the tent, Jess and his groomsmen lined up at the end of the bridge with Reverend Skinner. Their family and friends were all sat together on the bank of the water near the bridge waiting for Rory to come down the aisle.

"Okay, it's time. I've got to get out there," Lorelai said giving Rory a kiss on the cheek, "I'm so happy for you sweets."

"Thanks, Mom," Rory said as Lorelai left the tent to make her way down the aisle and take her place.

"It's almost our time, kiddo, you ready?" Christopher asked.

"I feel like I've been ready for this my entire life, Dad," Rory told him, grabbing her bouquet of ice blue and white roses that were tied together with a navy ribbon.

"That's our cue," Christopher said, hearing the first notes to "Marry Me" by Train, the song Rory and Jess chose for her to walk down the aisle to. Even though they met for the first time at her house, they had a lot of moments in the diner and they loved the line in the song "If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe." It worked for them, "Let's go get you married."

Walking out of the tent with Christopher on her arm, Rory got her first look at the simple and beautifully decorated bridge. The bridge itself was covered in ice blue and white rose petals with navy ribbon draping across the edge on each side so it fell just above the water. Looking at the water on each side of the bridge as Rory and Christopher walked towards Jess, she noticed rose petals and little tea light candles floating in the water. Concentrating on not stumbling as she walked across the bridge, Rory didn't get a good look at Jess until just before she was in front of him. Seeing him in his navy blue tux with a white rose tied with a small ice blue ribbon pinned to his lapel, her breath hitched as she took bigger steps towards her future.

* * *

"Wow!" Jess said as he stood next to his uncle and Reverend Skinner when Rory first came into view and started her walk across the bridge.

"It's your time, now, nephew," Luke said.

"Who gives this woman to this man?" Reverend Skinner asked when Rory and Christopher stopped in front of them.

"We all do," Christopher said, earning a laugh from the guests, made up of mostly town members who having watched Rory grow up felt like she was their own. Then giving Rory a kiss on the cheek and tapping Jess lightly on the back, "Take care of our girl, now."

"I will, sir," Jess said, taking Rory's hand in his, turning so they were face to face in front of their guests as Christopher took his seat next to his mother and the Gilmore's.

As Reverend Skinner went through his opening statements welcoming everyone and asking if anyone objected, Rory and Jess were both running through their vows, waiting to share with each other the words they had chosen.

"At this time Rory and Jess have prepared some words to say to each other, Jess?" Reverend Skinner said.

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this," Jess began, borrowing words from Pablo Neruda, "The moment we met, nearly ten years ago I knew I wanted you in my life. I didn't know how or when or if we would end up here, but I knew I wanted it. I knew you belonged in my life. I love you, Book Tease."

"Thank you, Jess. Rory?" Reverend Skinner said.

"Jess, Anais Nan once said, 'You don't find love, it finds you. It's got a little bit to do with destiny, fate, and what's written in the stars.' Now I know you don't believe in destiny and fate and all that, but I do," Rory said, "I believe that because love did find us. It found us when we met here ten years ago and it found us when I moved to Philadelphia. Fate brought us together and our destiny awaits us as we begin our lives together as one. I love you, Dodger."

After their vows, Rory and Jess exchanged their rings. Jess placing a diamond band on Rory's finger that matched her engagement ring and Rory placing a simple white gold band on Jess' finger each kissing the spot just above the ring as they placed it before pledging their 'I do's' to each other.

"By the power vested in me by the state of Connecticut, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jess, you may kiss your bride, " Reverend Skinner said as Jess laced his left hand with Rory's right, laying his right hand on her cheek as he kissed her before pulling away for the Reverend to introduce them, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Jess Mariano."

"I love you so much, Mrs. Mariano," Jess said before kissing her again as their guests applauded.

"I love you, too, Mr. Mariano," Rory said, taking his offered hand and walking back down the bridge towards the tent she waited in earlier so they could have a moment to themselves before they were congratulated by their guests and posed for pictures.

* * *

 **AN:** And there's our wedding. Sorry it took so long. My next chapter will be the reception. I have ideas for it, but I haven't started writing it yet. I need a first dance song for Rory and Jess. I had them dance to "When She Appears" when they danced together in Washington since it was the song playing when they kissed at the end of "Let the Games Begin" and while I like the song and am considering it for their first dance, I'm open to suggestions of other songs. I also wanted to say that when I end this story after I write the beginning of the honeymoon, it may be awhile before I begin the sequel so I can focus a bit more on my other story. Thanks!


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: "Damn, that's some robe,"

* * *

After being congratulated by their guests and posing for a thousand pictures with their wedding party and all their friends and family it was time to join the rest of their guests in the square for the wedding reception.

"So, what song did you tell the band to play?" Rory asked Jess as they stood the side of the square waiting for Zach to announce them so they could take their place in the gazebo where they planned to have their first dance.

"Not telling. You'll just have to wait and be surprised," he told her, bringing their clasped hands to his mouth, brushing his lips across the back of her hand, "But trust me, it's perfect. You'll love it."

"You and your surprises," she said.

"Get used to them. I plan on surprising you for the rest of our lives," Jess told her.

"The rest of our lives, huh. I guess I can live with that," Rory said, running her fingers through his hair, pulling him to her for a kiss.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Zach said from his place on the stage the town set up for the band to play, "We are honored to play for all of you tonight, but especially two of our closest friends and biggest fans. They were there for us from our beginning days practicing in Lorelai's garage. Ladies and Gentlemen, Rory and Jess Mariano."

"That's our cue," Jess said, taking Rory's hand and walking with her through the tables of people until they made it to the gazebo. As they walked up the steps the band began the first notes of their wedding song.

Jess took Rory's left hand in his right, placing his left hand on her waist as she laid her right hand on his shoulder., smiling at the look in her eyes when she recognized the song.

 _Thank you for loving me_

 _For being my eyes_

 _When I couldn't see_

 _For parting my lips_

 _When I couldn't breathe_

 _Thank you for loving me_

 _You pick me up when I fall down_

 _You ring the bell before they count me out_

 _If I was drowning you would part the sea_

 _And risk your own life to rescue me_

"It really is the perfect song," Rory said, laying her head on his shoulders as he moved them around the gazebo, "We've picked each other up so many times."

"And you always saw in me what I couldn't. Thank you Rory. Thank you for always seeing more in me and for loving me," Jess said.

"Always," she said, lifting her head off his shoulders to kiss him, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, pulling away to look in her eyes as he said it before kissing her again, earning them applause from the crowd of people watching.

* * *

After Rory and Jess finished their dance they took their seats so the speeches could begin before dinner was served. Luke and Lorelai gave a speech together, teasing Rory and Jess on the will they won't they that was the beginning of their relationship as kids when Rory insisted to Lorelai that her and Jess were simply "friend-ish," and when they got together Jess acting like their relationship wasn't a big deal.

"If anyone would have told us when you guys first got together at seventeen that we'd end up here one day, we would have said they were crazy," Luke said.

"But, the looks in your eyes as you interacted with each other and talked about the other at our wedding two years ago, we're surprised it took you this long," Lorelai said, "Because you were made to love each other and we couldn't be happier for you. To Rory and Jess."

"To Rory and Jess," Luke said, raising his glass to them.

Lane followed after them having a letter of her own to share.

"Five years ago at my wedding, Rory read a letter I wrote proclaiming my love to Alex Backus when we were in the third grade," Lane said, earning a laugh from the guests who had been there and heard the letter, "So the day Rory told me she was dating Jess again, I went in search of my own letter."

"Oh, no," Rory said.

"You know what this letter says?" Jess asked.

"I could guess. We've been friends since kindergarten. This one could be almost anything," Rory said, "But whatever it is, I'm sure it's going to be embarrassing."

"Rory wrote this to me when we were in the sixth grade after a sleepover that resulted in the all the girls swooning over Leonardo DiCaprio, insisting he was the perfect man.

 _Dear Lane,_

 _While I can agree that the lovely Leo is an attractive man, I have to say he holds nothing to Guy Patterson. You remember him? The broody drummer of The Wonders. He was really cute. Though so was the guy who played Balthasar, Jesse something. I guess I'm into that whole tall, dark, and handsome thing. Who knew? Talk to you later. Love, Rory_

Who knew is right. Who knew that twenty years after writing me this note, Rory would marry her own broody, tall, dark, and handsome. Congratulations you guys. I'm so happy for you. To Rory and Jess."

"To Rory and Jess."

"So basically you've been waiting for me your whole life," Jess said, resting his forehead against hers after kissing her.

"Well, not my whole life. Just since I was twelve," Rory told him, kissing him again.

"And was it worth the wait?" he asked.

"It was more than worth it. You're perfect," she told him, kissing him lightly on the lips.

* * *

After Lane's speech dinner was served. They decided on family style so Sookie had the kitchen staff from the inn delivering all the food to the tables. After months of stressing over what to serve and Rory and Jess insisting they trust her to make something delicious, Sookie came up with the perfect menu.

"This is an odd collection of food," Jess said as he filled his plate with pot roast, a few chicken wings, mashed potatoes, garlic bread, and salad.

"Odd, yes, but incredibly delicious," Rory said, taking a bite of the grilled cheese sandwich she had served herself, "You know what this food is don't you?"

"No, should I?" Jess asked.

"The night we met, Mom had invited you and Luke over to the house for dinner," Rory said.

"Right, which I left before it even got...wait, this isn't?" he asked.

"Yep. This is exactly that. Sookie recreated the menu from that night," she told him.

"Wow, that was really cool of her," Jess said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it's like we're recreating that dinner, though I have to say, this version is so much better."

"I agree, though I really want dinner to be over already so we can dig into that cake. It looks amazing."

"Oh, yeah. Sookie definitely outdid herself on that one."

"You know Mom is expecting us to throw it all over each other, right?"

"She wouldn't be Lorelai, otherwise."

* * *

Once everyone had their fill of Sookie's delicious meal, Rory and Jess went to the cake table to cut the first piece of their wedding cake. Jess was right. Sookie did outdo herself. The cake was five tiers and each tier was a different flavor. Rory's favorite was the chocolate mocha crunch so Jess agreed to cut into that layer for their first piece.

After feeding a small bite to each other, Rory and Jess stepped aside to allow one of the inn's kitchen staff to cut the cake to serve to everyone and get the top tier saved for them for their first anniversary. While everyone was being served their cake, Rory and Jess used that time to go around and thank everyone for coming before the rest of the dancing started. Hep Alien was going to play a few more songs, but Kirk had also offered his services as a DJ so the band didn't have to play the whole night.

"Care to join me for a dance, Dad?" Rory asked Christopher when she and Jess reached his table.

"I'd be honored," he told her, taking her hand and leading her out onto the dance floor where they danced to an Alabama song Rory heard on the radio once while on the campaign trail and fell in love with.

 _No, you'll never be one again_

 _The two's are tumbling on in_

 _Daddy's little girl, is growing up in the world._

 _You'll never be one again._

Even though the lyrics of the song were about a little girl's birthday, Rory loved it because a girl growing up and turning a year older held the same sentiment as a father giving away his daughter at her wedding. As the song ended, the band began playing "I Loved Her First" so all the fathers and daughters could take a turn on the dance floor. Christopher used this time to dance with Gigi while Luke danced with April. After the first verse, April grabbed Luke's hand and walked him over to Rory.

"You loved her first, Dad," she told him, "The father-daughter dance is for you guys, too."

"Thanks, April," Rory said, giving her a hug before taking Luke's hand as he led her to the dance floor.

After the father-daughter dance, Jess danced with Liz. And for the rest of the night, the band and Kirk traded off on playing songs as everyone danced. Then before the evening was over Rory and Jess threw the bouquet and garter. On purpose they threw them directly to Kara and Matt.

* * *

Once they had said goodbye to everybody, Rory and Jess went to the inn to spend their first night as husband and wife in the honeymoon suite.

"Wow," Rory said as Jess sat her down on the floor after carrying her into the room, "I can't believe Mom put rose petals on the bed for us."

"Actually I think that was April's doing," Jess said.

"Really. How sweet," Rory said, "So?"

"So…" Jess said walking towards her, reaching his hand behind her head to remove the pins from her hair, letting her curls fall. Rory took the tiara off before they left the square and gave it to Lorelai to take home.

"Unzip me and give me a few minutes," Rory said kissing him briefly before grabbing a small bag off the floor after he unzipped her dress and walking into the bathroom.

Jess used this time to dim the lights and pour them each a glass of champagne. It wasn't long before Rory came out in a white lacy robe. He noticed it was just long enough to just cover her behind as she did a turn in front of him. He felt his need for her grow instantly when she turned and he saw the back of the robe was stitched with _Mrs. Mariano_.

"Damn, that's some robe," Jess said, running his fingers over the stitching of his last name that now belonged to her.

"If you like the robe, you'll love what's underneath," Rory said, turning to face him and pushing him back towards the bed.

"Can't wait," Jess said reaching up to untie the robe, but had his hands swatted away by Rory who pushed him down onto the bed and sat herself on his lap.

"Patience, husband," she said, kissing his neck as she began to unbutton his shirt. He had tossed his jacket and tie aside the moment they walked into the room, "We're going to take this slow."

* * *

 **AN:** Yes, I know, very mean of me to end this chapter right here, but that's what Deleted Scenes is for. I want to say thank you to jordana60 for the first dance song suggestion. Once I listened to it and read the lyrics, I loved it. It's a perfect Rory and Jess song. The father-daughter dance song choice was a personal one for me. My dad recorded a tape of it for my first birthday which included him talking to me as well as the song and it's the song I want to dance to with him when I get married someday. The next chapter will be the last one. It will be part of the honey moon. I already have an idea of what I want to do with the sequel to this, but I want to devote a bit more time to Ready For Anything before I continue with the lives of Rory and Jess Mariano. Thanks for reading!


	35. Chapter 35

*******UPDATE: The sequel to this story, It Still Works, is now up!*******

 **AN:** This is the last chapter of That Part Always Worked. I knew when I first wrote Fifteen Years Gone nine months ago that I wanted to write the story of how Rory and Jess got to that point, but I never imagined the love and support this story would get. If you ever go back and read this again, I did make a small change to chapter 32. I originally was going to have them leave from Philadelphia to go to Spain as I planned to have them visit another LOVE statue in Pennsylvania, but on further research I changed my mind so I changed a few lines in chapter 32 to account for them leaving from Connecticut for their honeymoon instead of Philadelphia.

* * *

Chapter 35: "I think that's the best idea you've ever had,"

* * *

Though they were exhausted from their long night of lovemaking, having needed to make up for the past week of abstaining from sex as they waited for their wedding night, Rory and Jess were up early Sunday morning.

"Okay, we're on the road and we're heading north. There are only a handful of places within reasonable driving distance so I could easily figure out where we going," Rory said as Jess continued to refuse to tell her of their destination.

"I know you can and will not be one bit surprised when it comes to you and you start screaming your excitement," Jess told her, giving her hand a squeeze before kissing the back of it as well as her ring finger.

"Wow, even when we're married, you're still so mean to me," she said, taking her hand back and crossing her arms with a huff.

"You can't seriously be mad that I want to surprise you?" he asked.

"No, I'm not mad, just annoyed," she told him, "I hate surprises."

"Yeah, yeah, broken record," Jess said, leaning over to kiss her cheek as they stopped at a stop light, "I love you."

"Eh, you're okay," she said before running her hands through his hair and kissing his lips, "I love you, too."

* * *

It turned out to be easier than Jess thought to keep the trip a surprise for Rory. They went to bed so late and had gotten up so early after just a few hours of sleep that she had fallen asleep just after they hit the Massachusetts state line and slept almost the entire two hundred mile drive to their destination.

"Rory," Jess said, running his hand up and down her leg to wake her up, "We're almost there."

"There? Where is there?" Rory asked in a slight whisper, wanting to go back to her nap.

"Why don't you open those pretty blue eyes and see," he told her.

"Humph," Rory groaned, but opened her eyes anyway and saw the sign Jess wanted her to see, "Middlebury, Vermont?"

"Yep," he said, "Are you awake enough to figure out why we're here?"

"The college," she said after a few minutes, "Middlebury College has a LOVE sculpture! Have I told you how much I love you today?"

"Today? No, can't say you have considering you slept the whole way here," Jess said.

"Well, I love you. More than I could ever imagine myself loving someone and possibly more than anyone has ever loved anyone before," she told him.

"I think you're exaggerating a bit on that, but thank you," he said, "I love you, too."

After arriving at the college they walked around the campus a bit before stopping to take their picture in front of the LOVE sculpture. They took a few of them kissing and Rory even asked a student to take some of them so they could be sure their wedding rings were present in them.

"So, where to now?" Rory asked when they got back in the car.

"Now we go to the hotel or rather the inn I've booked us in for the next couple of days," Jess told her.

"Any plans beyond the inn?" she asked.

"No, I was kind of hoping we wouldn't leave the room until we have to leave Tuesday," he said, "What do you think?"

"I think that's the best idea you've ever had," she told him, leaning over to kiss him, "Let's go."

It was just a short drive to the inn from the college. Rory and Jess didn't let go of the others hand the whole way.

"Oh, Jess it's beautiful," she told him as they pulled up to Waybury Inn, "It looks familiar, too, but I know I've never been here before."

"True, but you have seen it, just not in person until now," he said.

"Not in person so a picture, maybe. No," she said thinking about it, "Oh, on TV. Oh my God. This is the Stratford Inn from Newhart."

"The very same. At least on the outside anyway. They painted it and used the exterior for show," Jess said, "You like it?"

"I love it," she told him, kissing him as he took her hand and lead her to the front door to check in.

* * *

"Are you seriously going to do this everywhere we go?" Rory asked Jess as he carried her over the threshold of their room, room number nine, The Robert Frost Suite.

"Maybe. I had to do it yesterday since we just got married and since this is the first official day of our honeymoon I felt like I had to do it again and when we go home I'll carry you over the threshold of our apartment, but I haven't decided if I'll do it everywhere we go," he said.

"This room is amazing," Rory said after Jess put her down, "This bed is beautiful and did I see a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom?"

"You did," Jess said, joining her on the king sized bed, "But do you want to hear the best part about this room?"

"What's that?" she asked, laying her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You see that desk over there?" he asked.

"Hmm."

"Well, it has a secret compartment that for decades guests who've stayed in this room have filled with notes of life and love."

"Really?"

"Yep, and we can read them and write our own to leave behind for someone else."

"I'd like that."

For the rest of the day and all of Monday, Rory and Jess barely left their room, leaving once just to explore the rest of the inn. They had all their meals delivered to them whenever they found themselves hungry after hours spent in the shower or jacuzzi and of course the bed. They did spend a couple hours clothed as they read through the box of letters the previous guests had left behind, many of them newlyweds like them writing their hopes and wishes for their marriage and a few from couples who had been married for years offering their advice to the newlyweds who stayed in the room.

"This is so much better than that guest book at The Cheshire Cat," Rory told Jess.

"The Cheshire Cat?" Jess asked.

"This inn in Portland that Mom and I stayed in once. The room we stayed in had this crazy flowery, foil wallpaper and it had this guest book for people to write in about their stay in the room," Rory said.

"And I'm guessing the things people wrote were ridiculous," Jess said.

"One person said the room made their soul soar."

"Yuck."

"Exactly my thought."

"So what did Lorelai write in it?"

"Satanic forces are at work here."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, but I changed it a bit before we left."

"To what?"

"I sat and forever am at work here."

"That makes no sense."

"Which is why we hightailed it out of there as quick as we could when we checked out. That place was insane."

"Sounds it, so are you ready to write our own letter?" Jess asked.

* * *

After checking out of the inn Tuesday morning they drove back to Stars Hollow to meet up with Luke and Lorelai. After saying a quick hello to a few people in town, they drove them to the airport in Hartford so Rory and Jess could catch their flight to Bilbao, Spain where they would spend a few hours touring the city and visiting another LOVE sculpture before getting on another flight to Lisbon, Portugal where they planned to spend a few days before flying to Milan.

"You know, it's a good thing we packed light," Rory said as they walked into LX Factory after visiting Lisbon's LOVE sculpture. It was the first stop they made after checking into their hotel.

"True, this is just bookstore number one on our European vacation. Depending on what we find after a few stores we may need to buy another suitcase just for the books," Jess said.

"That is a definitely possibility," Rory said.

After Lisbon they went to Milan which housed another LOVE sculpture, but also another bookstore they wanted to check out. From Milan they went to Paris. Paris didn't have a LOVE sculpture, but it did have the Shakespeare and Company bookstore as well as a restaurant Jess was excited to check out, Les Deux Magots. It was a restaurant famous for its celebrity patrons. Many writers and artists had visited the restaurant or referenced it in their work, but Jess was most excited to see it because Ernest Hemingway had visited it and even wrote about it in _The Sun Also Rises_.

The last stop for Rory and Jess on their tour of Europe was London. They had a list of a dozen independent bookstores they wanted to see before they went home. Rory was nervous being in London with Jess after having spent so much time there with Logan, but Jess insisted it was fine and though he knew her memories of her relationship with Logan at that time were good one's, he was looking forward to the two of them making new memories together because the two of them, they always worked.

* * *

 **AN:** And that's it on That Part Always Worked. I will be writing a sequel. It will start up one year later with Rory and Jess celebrating their first anniversary and reflecting on their first year of marriage. I want to be able to devote more time to my story, Ready For Anything for a little while so I don't know when I will get to work on the sequel or what I will call it just yet. Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. For someone who a year ago was strictly a reader and had only begun to write her first fanfiction, your support is incredibly appreciated. Thank you!


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